


Swan Song

by electricdino



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-04
Updated: 2014-09-04
Packaged: 2018-02-16 03:33:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 42,035
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2254314
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/electricdino/pseuds/electricdino
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Warning(s): Character Death. Mentions of Suicide, Homophobia, Bullying and Cancer.</p>
<p>---</p>
<p>After being involved in a dangerous car accident, Luhan's life is turned upside down when he wakes up with the ability to see and interact with ghosts. This wouldn't be such a bad thing if it wasn't for the fact that he's terrified of them. But with the help of a stranger, turned friend and maybe more, he begins to work through his fears. But life is never that fair.</p>
<p>You can't escape death.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Swan Song

> (cross-posted to [aff](http://www.asianfanfics.com/story/view/772681/swan-song-angst-tragedy-exo-luhan-xiumin-xiuhan) and [livejournal](http://electricdino.livejournal.com/19192.html))

**_~Intro~_ **

  
The steady hum of the car engine and the relatively soothing vibrations of the vehicle always soothed Luhan into a sense of ease. Watching the world fly past his window as they drove down the open roads, it never failed to bring a smile to his lips. Thankfully there wasn't a lot of traffic, so their journey was a smooth one.  
  
"Hey turn up the radio. I love this song." Looking to his side, the young twenty two year old male smiled in amusement at his childhood friend.  
  
"Why don't you turn it up? You're the one driving."  
  
"Ah," His friend started, lifting a finger off of the wheel in emphasis. "But that's exactly the point. I'm the one driving and you know it's dangerous for a driver to take his hands off of the wheel. I wouldn't want to cause an accident now."  
  
Rolling his eyes Luhan shook his head in amusement, soft brown hair falling into his vision at the movement which he quickly swiped away. "You've been driving for years, Ge, and you've never even been close to having an accident."  
  
"Hey, don't jinx it!" The other laughed, the warm pealing sound echoing throughout the car and bringing a soft smile to Luhan's own lips.  
  
"I'm not." The younger of the two giggled, his eyes crinkling into soft crescents. "But you know my point still stands."  
  
"Yeah, yeah. Just turn the radio up will you? Before the song ends and I miss my chance to prove my amazing vocal prowess."  
  
"Oh please, we both know that I can sing circles around you." Luhan laughed, but he still leant forward in his seat and fiddled with the volume dial until the song was blasting through the speakers. Immediately the two young men began to bob their heads along with the beat, opening their mouths to sing-a-long, unafraid to be as loud as they wanted to be.  
  
It was summer, they were enjoying their free time away from studying and work and other stresses that being of the age they were tended to bring. Maybe it wasn't a real vacation with going to a new location and forgetting all of their troubles. But just driving back to the other's home town for a week of relaxation was more than enough. They were young, happy and they deserved to have a little fun, no matter how small.  
  
The song soon changed to another but the volume remained at the strength they had set, the two males quickly shifting into singing along with the new song. And so they continued on for a few more tunes, and Luhan mused about how he hadn't felt so free and relaxed in a long long time. It was nice, to feel like this again, and he wouldn't have been able to wipe the contented smile off of his face if he had even tried.  
  
At some point he had ended up looking out of the window again, his vocals fading down into a gentle hum, his friend doing the same as he continued to drive the car to their intended destination. The sun was beginning to set, turning the horizon a warm orange as the day began to merge into night. They were almost there, he knew. They had been driving for a while now, and he could even see the city in the distance. Soon they could stop and rest, ready for the festivities to start the following day.  
  
Luhan must have dozed off or lost himself in thought or something similar for the next thing he knew he heard a loud curse from his friend before the car began to swerve. What was going on, the younger of the two had no idea, but he gripped onto the car door as hard as he could to avoid being thrown around too much.  
  
He could hear someone screaming, and it took a while for him to feel the burn in his throat. Oh, so it was him. If the car hadn't been out of control, and he hadn't been holding on for his life, he would have felt the need to be a little embarrassed. Not that his screams could be heard above the brakes screeching.  
  
His head impacted against the window and Luhan became dazed, no longer truly realising what was going on any more. He looked around but everything looked, felt and sounded like it was happening outside of a bubble which had wrapped around him.  
  
Gradually though his senses began to return. And suddenly there was too much noise, too much light, and his head pounded with pain making him dizzy. His eyes only began to focus just in time for him to see the large red truck swerving into view. It was too fast. It was heading for them way too fast. They were going to...  
  
There was a loud crunch of metal impacting metal and everything went black.  
  


\---

  
A quiet beeping was the first thing that Luhan was aware of. It was steady, repetitive and it almost lulled him back into unconsciousness. But a nagging at the back of his mind made him struggle through the bog that was his muddled state until he was blinking heavy eyes open.  
  
White, everything was white, and Luhan was suddenly terrified. Where was he? What was going on? What happened?  
  
He tried to move, to push himself upwards so he could look around better but his body wouldn't cooperate with him. It was just too stiff, too sore. Why? Why was his body in that state? Again that nagging at the back of his mind returned. He should know what had happened but he couldn't quite remember.  
  
A rustling at the other end of the room caught Luhan's attention, not that he could really move to see what was going on. But he didn't have long to wait before a team of doctors and nurses flooded his vision. They buzzed around him like flies on a piece of candy, and the sudden barrage of voices only managed to confuse his already muddled mind.  
  
One nurse though bent over him and deliberately caught his gaze. She had a friendly smile, not that it did much to quell the fear rampant inside of him.  
  
"Ah you're awake, that's good... that's very good. We were worried about you, Luhan. You're in the hospital, do you know what happened?"  
  
Luhan opened his mouth to try and reply but his voice wouldn't work. His mouth was incredibly dry and any attempt to wet his lips resulted in him feeling like he was sucking on cotton or something.  
  
The nurse, apparently, could see the fear and confusion in his eyes for she placed a comforting hand on his shoulder whilst the others continued to flit around him, checking his vitals and running basic tests on his body. "You were in a car accident. Your vehicle hit the front end of a truck and you sustained heavy injuries, especially to your head. You've been in a coma for the past year." She said, clearly trying her best to explain and yet still keep Luhan calm.  
  
Car crash... Head injury... Coma... A Year... Luhan's eyes widened and his mouth fell open though no sound came out. Did he hear her correctly? Did she just tell him he had been in an accident that resulted in a coma? Did the nurse really just say that he had not only been in a coma but it had been for a year... A year!?!  
  
He was still struggling to find words when the other doctors and nurses retreated. "Stats are fine. We just need to work on his rehabilitation now. Get him back on his feet. Get him used to eating solids again. The usual. We'll leave him in your hands Nurse Jia."  
  
The friendly nurse, with apparently terror inducing information about how he had got there, gave the departing team a nod, only turning back to face him when it was just the two of them in the room. "Shall we sit you up?"  
  
Luhan merely blinked at her. Sit up? He had just been told some horrible yet incredibly confusing news and she wanted to know if he would like to sit up? No, what he wanted was for him to wake up from this nightmare and be back in that car with Ling driving them to his home town...  
  
Wait... Ling. He had been driving when they... when they had hit that truck. Oh no...  
  
Opening his mouth, Luhan licked at his lips a few times, trying to moisten them enough so he could at least try to speak. "L-L..." He started, before pausing, taking a breath. "L-L-Ling...?"  
  
"Ling?" The nurse asked. Luhan watched as recognition passed through her eyes and the smile on her lips was all the answer he needed. Ling was okay, she wouldn't look so happy if he wasn't... right? "Oh, that's the young man who you were in the car with, right? He's fine. A few broken bones and a mild concussion was all he sustained. You got the worse deal with your injuries than him."  
  
That was such a relief. Ling was okay. He was alive and, Luhan assumed, healthy now. Relaxing into the bed, he finally allowed himself a breath. Everything was fine. Yes he had to get himself back on his feet and try to pick his life back up but after the accident that they had been through, they had both survived. They had been lucky, so very lucky.  
  
He ran his tongue across his lips again, managing to swallow a very dry throat as he looked up at the nurse. "S-S-Sit u-up?" He asked, being flat out on the bed was starting to feel a little uncomfortable as sensation began to return to his limbs properly. And not being able to see most of the room was starting to get a little unnerving too.  
  
"Of course." Nurse Jia replied, giving him another warm smile. Before she did anything else though she reached out and with careful hands she fluffed up his pillow. "We can't sit you up all the way yet, obviously. Your body is still too stiff for that. But we'll get there okay? I'll be with you every step of the way with your rehabilitation."  
  
She certainly liked to talk a lot, Luhan thought, Ling would like her. Maybe he should introduce them to each other.  
  
He nodded his head, the tiny amount he could manage without causing himself any more pain, in understanding and received a warm smile in response. "Okay then, let's raise you up a little at least. The ceiling can't be very nice to look at."  
  
Luhan's own lips twitched at the edges, trying to return the smile but failing miserably as it made his whole face tense as if it was an elastic band being stretched too far. The nurse didn't seem to notice anything though and she began to hum quietly as she fiddled with what looked like a remote that was attached to his bed.  
  
Soon enough Luhan felt his top half beginning to be pushed upwards ever so slowly. And he watched as the dull view of the ceiling vanished to be replaced with the actual room he was in. He guessed he could call this room his, he had been occupying it for a year after all, even if he had been in a coma throughout the whole time. He wasn't raised as far as he would like though, the nurse stopping the progression at thirty degrees, but it was better than nothing.  
  
Immediately he began to look around, trying to take in as much of the room as possible as the nurse chattered in his ear about contacting his family to help him recuperate faster and about getting various people to come in and visit him since he wouldn't be discharged until the staff all thought he was well enough to not need their constant care. Luhan didn't really hear any of it, he was too preoccupied.  
  
The room was a fairly decent size, especially for being in a hospital. He had been granted a room to himself apparently since there were no other beds there. That thought made him wince. A year's worth of hospital bills, including a private room for the whole time? That was going to be expensive.  
  
The walls were white, like he had seen earlier, and aside from a vase of flowers in the window and a television hooked up in the corner of the room, there wasn't much else, bar medical equipment anyway. They had taken him off of the machine that had been beeping, but it was still in the room, along with a currently empty IV stand.  
  
A flash of grey caught his eye, and Luhan glanced over to see what it was... but it was gone. Strange, maybe it was just a mistake in his still confused mind? Most likely.  
  
Nurse Jia had moved on to talking about his meal plans. They would have to start him off with liquids still but they would gradually build him back up until he could eat a proper solid meal again. She was absent-mindedly stroking his hair, but he didn't really mind. It felt nice, soothing. And he almost began to fall asleep.  
  
Another flash of grey, though, brought him back to full attentiveness, and this time he kept his eyes focused. It wasn't long before he wished he hadn't though. A small grey figure, the shape of a young child probably no older than 6, was skipping around his room. He didn't have time to call out to her though before she skipped over to the wall and passed right through it...  
  
What... What was that?  
  
Luhan couldn't tear his eyes off of the patch of wall where the young girl had vanished. Was he seeing things? Was it all in his mind? What was going on? That... That couldn't have been real right? He was just confused, tired... he had just come around from a year long coma, of course his mind wasn't going to be working right yet. Yes, that was it.  
  
Letting out a breath he didn't even realise he had been holding, Luhan was relieved to find that the friendly and over talkative nurse hadn't noticed the sudden tension within him. Good, he didn't know how he would have explained it otherwise.  
  
He tried to focus on her words but his heart suddenly felt like it was thudding hard in his chest and he knew that if he had been able to raise his hands up properly that they would be shaking. He was afraid, and not because of the fact that he had been in an accident, or had been in a coma, or was currently in a hospital. No, he was afraid because of what he had seen.  
  
Luhan could feel himself getting more and more anxious, and he was wary of looking anywhere but at the nurse. His curiosity though, the cause of many childhood accidents, got the better of him once again, and after swallowing somewhat awkwardly with his still dry throat, he looked back around the room.  
  
Immediately he wished he hadn't, for his eyes locked on to yet another grey figure, only this one was a lot more intimidating and terrifying than the little girl. This one was tall, the size of a full grown man, and was big built. That wasn't what struck fear into Luhan's heart though. No, what did it was how the figure was completely covered in burns, with his skin peeling off in a most grotesque manner.  
  
He prayed that the figure would pass through the wall and leave him alone, just as the little girl had done. But he wasn't so lucky. It turned, looking directly at Luhan and gave the most terrifying smirk that he had ever seen.  
  
Everything around him blotted out except for the figure. He could no longer hear happy Nurse Jia, he could no longer see the startlingly white room. All he could see and focus on was the figure and his decaying skin.  
  
"This one is pretty... maybe I'll take his face..." It said, it's voice low and definitely dangerous.  
  
Luhan just stared at it in horror, beginning to hyperventilate as it took a menacing step towards him. He could feel small hands shaking his arm and a worried voice asking him what was wrong, but he couldn't react. Not with that man stalking towards him like a predator would it's prey. He didn't want to be prey though, not when he was confined to a bed.  
  
He tried to convince himself that it wasn't real. This was all just a figment of his imagination. It wasn't real. But the fear was very much real, the panic was too and the anxiety.  
  
And when he felt a brush of a touch through the bedding and on his foot, that was when he began to scream. That thing was real. It was real. And it wanted his face. It was going to kill him.  
  
He tried to move, he tried to push himself up his bed, away from the peeling fingers of the burnt man, but he only succeeded in thrashing around. The nurse's loud voice was trying to get him to calm down, but he couldn't. How could he when that thing was there?  
  
Tears ran down his cheeks, and his screams became more and more hoarse.  
  
Nurse Jia must have called for backup for the room was full of more nurses and even some doctors. Their words all mixed together and Luhan couldn't understand any of them. He did see, though, how three nurses in succession just walked through the burnt man... They walked through him. Yet Luhan could still feel his hand on his ankle, the fingers slowly closing around his skin. His shrieks became louder and his thrashing more pronounced as he tried to escape.  
  
"We're gonna have to sedate him." One of the doctors said, loudly above the din of the room.  
  
No... No they couldn't sedate him. If they did that then the man would get him and take his face. No, he didn't want to die. They couldn't sedate him. Luhan began to thrash harder, trying to escape not only the burnt man but the doctors and nurses too.  
  
His eyes briefly caught sight of another figure, this one dressed all in black. They were just stood there, watching everything calmly. They were tall, with blond hair, and they stood with their arms crossed over their chest.  
  
They weren't like the burnt man. Their form was more solid, more colourful and though the doctors and nurses paid him no attention, Luhan knew that he was definitely in the room. He didn't feel as threatening but there was a darkness to him.  
  
With his attention focused on the new stranger in the room, he barely felt the prick of a needle in his arm, nor did he notice the slowly deadening of his limbs as they succumbed to sleep. And with his eyes locked on to the endless black ones of the stranger, Luhan fell into unconsciousness once again.

  
**_~Verse~_ **   


  
"Hi, welcome to Bubble Trouble, what can I get you?"  
  
Luhan took a breath to steady his nerves before he quietly gave his order to the employee behind the desk. "I'll take, uh, a milk tea with standard pearls please."  
  
"Sure thing, coming right up."  
  
Glancing around a little anxiously, Luhan quickly paid for his bubble tea before standing to one side to wait for it to be made. Originally he had planned on getting something warm to drink, to try and steady his nerves a little better, but Jongdae had already jumped out at him once so far that day, and that ghost had a tendency to repeatedly try to scare him. Of course he succeeded every time. Luhan was scared of ghosts after all. And not wanting to scald himself with hot tea he had changed his plans and gone for something colder instead.  
  
He hated that he had the ability to see ghosts. But not only that... he could touch them and they could touch him. He could talk with them, not that he wanted to. Of course not all of them would threaten to kill him and rob him of something, but all of them held some terror for Luhan. Especially after his first brushes with them after his accident.  
  
The ghosts were easier to deal with here in South Korea compared to Beijing. The language difference meant he wasn't immediately understanding what it was the spectres were saying. Plus not all of the Korean ghosts realised that he could see them. He was still careful though. He kept to himself mostly, not wanting yet more people to think that he was insane. Too many of his friends and family back home believed him to be just that.  
  
He loved them all dearly, but the lack of support was hard for him. And the ghosts? They were a lot more sinister back home. South Korea, Seoul, was much better for him. Or so he had found for the six months he had already been living there for.  
  
It was strange to see how much things could change in a year. A year ago he had come to from a coma and discovered something that had changed his life completely and in one of the worst ways possible. He was not the Luhan he had been before the accident, not by any stretch of the imagination. And nobody back home could understand the changes within him, just writing him off as crazy and needing therapy.  
  
He probably did need therapy, but the professionals he had seen back then had done nothing to help him, writing him off as a lost cause, or accusing him of attention seeking.  
  
So as soon as he felt able to, he had packed up his life and moved to South Korea. He could speak Korean fluently, having studied it when he was at school, but he still needed the brief moment to switch languages in his head. That made it much easier for him to ignore the ghosts that seemed to still plague him.  
  
Though sometimes he found it difficult to work out who was a ghost and who was actually a living breathing person. Over time the ghosts he had seen had slowly gained colour. And many times before he had mistaken one as someone living causing everybody else around him to look at him like he was crazy.  
  
There were moments before when he did wonder if he  _was_  crazy, the stress and shock of the car accident making him go insane. But after a year with no change other than the spectres becoming more solid to his eye Luhan had come to just accept it, even if he did hate it.  
  
Taking the plastic cup into hand, Luhan nodded in gratitude to the employee before he turned and made his way out of the store. He didn't get far though before something popped up in front of him with a yell. Immediately Luhan jumped, yelping loudly and nearly dropping the drink he had only just bought. Thankfully, though, he managed to keep a good grip on it, though his heart was thudding hard in his chest.  
  
"Oh man! I can't believe you fell for it again! Every time. You are so much fun." A voice cackled in front of him.  
  
Jongdae, of course. That ghost had had it in for him ever since he had discovered that Luhan could see him, and not only that... was terrified of him and all other ghosts. He took every opportunity he could get to scare Luhan, relishing in his reactions.  
  
"Please... just leave me alone." Luhan begged him, not for the first time. He didn't stick around for the inevitable negative reply. Instead he ducked around the sniggering ghost and hurried as fast as he could away from him. He didn't care where as long as he was no where near him. He just wanted some peace, was that too much to ask?  
  
His feet hit the pavement hard as his panic began to take over him. His chest was constricting and even though he was outside he felt like walls were beginning to close in on him. Luhan weaved through the masses of people, trying his best to avoid accidentally bumping into any of them. Luck wasn't on his side though as he ran straight into another body, impacting hard enough for Luhan to fall backwards onto the ground.  
  
Lifting his hands, Luhan glanced down at them with a sigh, noting the broken skin on his palms. Great, just what he needed. He bit his lip, a flush of embarrassment beginning to spread up his face and neck, as he looked up at the guy he had bumped into. Immediately his eyes met the large startled ones of the other.  
  
The look the guy was giving him... Luhan didn't know what to make it of it at all. There was the obvious shock but there was also confusion and disbelief, and was there a little concern in there too, and curiosity? That... was something Luhan didn't want to deal with right then, so tearing his eyes away he quickly scooped up his fallen drink which had thankfully kept the lid on, with minimum spillage from the straw before he stumbled to his feet.  
  
"I-I'm sorry." Luhan apologised, quickly bowing his head. He hoped that just a quick apology would be enough and that the stranger would just let him go. He even took a step to continue on his way when he was stopped by a small hand grabbing his upper arm and a soft voice reaching his ears.  
  
"Hey, are... are you okay?"  
  
Almost reluctantly Luhan raised his eyes to meet those of the strangers again for a brief moment, taking in his facial features. His hair was a reddy brown, styled in a way to highlight his eyes which, like he had noticed before, were large but filled with a strange warmth. He had a small nose, bow-shaped lips and round cheeks that gave him a somewhat cherubic appearance. He was... cute. And that made Luhan feel even more intimidated by the situation.  
  
He nodded his head a little abruptly, desperation to just get away making him go almost twitchy. "I'm fine." He answered, his words crisp and sharp. They didn't have the intended effect though for the hand around his arm tightened slightly.  
  
"You don't look fine. You look scared. What's wrong?"  
  
Luhan really just wanted to rip his arm out of the stranger's grip, tell him that it's none of his business and run. He didn't want to be questioned. He didn't want to be considered crazy again if he did talk. He just wanted to be left alone.  
  
And yet his body did none of that. His feet refused to move, deciding to pretend to be glued to the pavement instead, keeping Luhan very much there and being confronted by some random stranger with intimidating cuteness.  
  
Biting his lip, Luhan just shook his head quickly, averting his eyes to the ground. "You'd just think I'm crazy."  
  
To his surprise the stranger laughed, showing a wide somewhat infectious smile, and Luhan quickly looked up and spotted a twinkle in his eyes. "I highly doubt that. Come on, I'm a good listener and I don't judge, I promise."  
  
That's what a lot of his old friends and family members back home had said to him... before they called him crazy and turned their backs on him. So Luhan was a little cautious to believe him. And why should he anyway? He didn't even know who this guy was! He could be an axe murder for all he knew. Using his cute and innocent face to lure unsuspecting victims into trusting him before he took them somewhere private where nobody could hear their screams and hacked them into teeny tiny little pieces with a wood splitting axe...  
  
Okay, so maybe that idea was probably a little far-fetched but the basic point of it was still valid. Just why should he believe him when they had only just met? "Just trust me..." The stranger said again, and the reassuring smile on his lips was the final straw to make Luhan nod his head finally in agreement.  
  
"All right." Luhan said, his voice quiet as he sighed almost silently. He was probably going to live to regret this. "But... can we talk somewhere else?" He asked, glancing around at the surrounding stream of people walking past them.  
  
"Of course." The stranger replied back, giving Luhan another reassuring smile that continued to serve to intimidate him. "There's a park nearby we could go to?"  
  
A park? Well it was better than standing in the middle of the street, Luhan thought. Though the axe murder theory sprang back up in his mind. An empty part of the park would be the perfect place for the stranger to bump him off...  
  
Though what harm could he really do? If he was killed at least he wouldn't be traumatised by ghosts any more... He'd be one himself... What a morbid thought.  
  
"Sure." Luhan nodded though, glancing around again before indicating to the other male to lead the way.  
  
Shuffling after the retreating back of the stranger, Luhan made sure to keep his head down, deliberately avoiding eye contact with Jongdae who had at some point reappeared again and was now looking between Luhan and the stranger quizzically.  
  
"Please... Leave me alone, just this once, please..." He whispered, almost begging the ghost to just give him a break for once.  
  
And for the first time ever... he did.  
  


\---

  
The seat of the swing was hard underneath his legs as Luhan sat upon it, the coldness seeping through the material of his pants and chilling his already pale skin. It wasn't the most comfortable of seating choices but in the middle of a park there wasn't really anywhere else to sit bar on the grass. But with this being a popular spot for dog walkers... Luhan didn't particularly want to risk it, the swing-set would do.  
  
It creaked slightly as he rolled on his feet, pushing him forward the tiniest bit. He was never able to sit still.  
  
"So... before you talk about whatever it is that you think I'll find crazy, I think introductions are in order."  
  
Lifting his head, Luhan locked eyes with the stranger once again, insecurity running through him for a moment before he nodded his agreement. The other's words made sense, though did he really want them to pass from the label of 'strangers' to 'acquaintances'? One look at the warm smile on that cute face gave Luhan his answer. Yes, he really did want to get to know this guy more.  
  
"Great, well... I'm Minseok. It's nice to meet you..." The stranger trailed off, his voice indicating for Luhan to continue.  
  
And after giving him a small smile, he did just that. "Luhan. It's nice to meet you too, Minseok."  
  
"Luhan? Chinese?" The no longer a stranger, Minseok, asked him.  
  
Luhan tightened his grip around the bubble tea cup that was still in his hand, his gaze dropping down to it as he exhaled an almost silent chuckle. "Yeah. Bet my name gave it away."  
  
"Actually," Minseok started, drawing Luhan's attention back up to his face and the almost mischievous smile on his face. "I could hear it in your accent." An almost proud smile spread over the other's lips and Luhan had to look away for a moment to stop himself from flushing. It was unfair just how good Minseok looked when he smiled. "I can also speak Mandarin."  
  
This caught Luhan's interest. Minseok could speak Mandarin? "Really?"  
  
"Yeah, I learnt a little when I was at school. Though I'm nowhere near as good at Mandarin as you are at Korean. You're so fluent!"  
  
Luhan really had no chance of preventing the soft blush from spreading over his cheeks at that. He found it hard to accept compliments, always had done. And receiving one from someone who looked like Minseok... it made him feel more than a little flustered. "I've been living over here for around six months now, that certainly helps."  
  
"Well if it wasn't for your accent, I would have thought you were Korean."  
  
He didn't know what it was, but there was something about the other male that was allowing Luhan to relax. The more they spoke, the more he trusted him. He seemed like a really nice guy, and despite how ruffled Luhan was acting, he was actually fairly easy to talk to.  
  
This activated the playful side to Luhan and a small teasing smile danced around his lips. "Oh really? Then what about my name?"  
  
"That too... But you know what I meant." Minseok said, a chuckle in his voice.  
  
Luhan merely laughed gently himself in reply, giving a single nod. "Thanks."  
  
"No problem." Minseok said, giving Luhan another warm smile that sent tingles through him. That wasn't helping at all, but at least the urge to flee hadn't overridden the rest of his senses yet. "Now, why don't we finally talk about what we're here for? What were you afraid of and why would I think you're crazy?"  
  
Lifting the cup, Luhan took a sip through the straw, trying to bide himself some time. He really didn't want to talk about this. Whenever he did the other person would always think he was mentally unstable and would then have nothing more to do with him. And even though they had just met Luhan didn't really want to lose Minseok already. But he had asked, and it was the whole reason they were even there. And his axe murder predictions clearly weren't going to come true...  
  
"I..." He started, immediately pausing to sigh as his eyes dropped to stare absent-mindedly at the ground in front of his feet as he swayed back and forth on the swing. "I can see ghosts. I can see them, talk to them, touch them... and they can do the same to me."  
  
Silence fell over them for a moment, the only sounds being the rustle of leaves as the wind played with the trees and the gentle creak of the swing-set. Luhan's heart was pounding hard in his chest. This was it. Any minute now Minseok was going to call him insane, get up from the swing and walk right out of the park and Luhan's life. He was almost ticking down the seconds in his mind, waiting for the inevitable outcome.  
  
Five... Four... Three... Two... One...  
  
"Okay. I can understand why that would scare you, and why some people may call you crazy. But... I don't think you are."  
  
That... was not the answer that Luhan had been expecting, and his head shot up so fast to stare at the other that he almost over-balanced backwards and fell off the swing. He caught himself on the chain in time but he could not stop himself from gaping at the other male.  
  
"R-Really?" He asked, his eyes wide in disbelief.  
  
"Yeah. I can see them too actually, so I don't think you are crazy at all."  
  
Luhan blinked at him, his voice stuck in his throat. The hope he had felt beginning to build in his chest had fizzled out immediately at Minseok's words. Usually he got called crazy... he was rarely made fun of like this. And this... this hurt. He would have rather Minseok call him names and leave than do this. This was cruel, and Luhan could feel distressed tears beginning to well up in his eyes.  
  
No, he would not cry. He was stronger than this. After everything he had been through so far he was not going to cry when some guy he had just met started making fun of him.  
  
"If I knew you were just going to start making fun of me then I wouldn't have said anything." Luhan said, unable to mask the hurt in his tone as he pushed himself up and off of the swing. "I'll just be going now."  
  
"No, Luhan wait. I'm being serious. I really can see them."  
  
Luhan found his arm being grabbed once again, but this time he did pull out of the other's grip. He wasn't going to fall for it again. He was going to leave, with his head held high and go home to where he could address his hurt emotions in peace... providing Jongdae didn't stalk him home which he was sometimes prone to doing. "Save it, I'm leaving."  
  
He was grabbed once again though, in a stronger hold and was physically forced to turn around to meet Minseok's eyes once again. Why couldn't he just leave him alone? Hadn't he hurt him enough already?  
  
"Please, I'm telling the truth." Minseok begged, his eyes swimming with apologies. Luhan didn't want to believe him, but he already felt his resolve weakening. Maybe he was a glutton for punishment or something, but he couldn't bring himself to think badly of the other male. Especially not when he was looking at him like that. He dropped his gaze to the ground, chewing on his bottom lip though making no sound, and he felt his arm being released. "Over there by the far trees. That's a ghost right? A female ghost?"  
  
Luhan didn't want to look. He really did not want to look. And yet he found himself lifting his head and looking over to where Minseok was describing. Immediately a startled yelp left his throat and he turned on the spot so his back was to the far trees. Minseok had been right. There was a ghost there. A girl with long black hair, wearing a white floaty dress. But what had made it obvious that she was ghost? The very prominent marks around her neck... rope burn... and she was just standing there, not moving... creepy. Yeah, she was definitely a ghost, and it took every bit of Luhan's strength to stop himself from bolting.  
  
"Luhan? Luhan what's wrong?"  
  
He hadn't realised he had started shaking, nor that he had gone incredibly pale. He did know that his eyes were wide in fear though, and shaking his head he swallowed thickly before replying. "I believe you now." He said, his voice quiet and shaky. "I can see her, she's there."  
  
"L-Luhan...?" He heard Minseok's voice before a hand was placed gently on his arm and the other male moved into his line of sight. "Are you scared of ghosts?"  
  
Raising his eyes, Luhan bit down onto his bottom lip as he looked up into the other's worried gaze. A whimper left his lips as he sucked in a breath before he nodded. "Terrified."  
  
He watched as Minseok's eyes softened even more and suddenly Luhan found himself pulled into an embrace, his face being pressed into the spot between the other's neck and shoulder. The touch was incredibly comforting, and Luhan couldn't help but raise his arms to all but cling to the back of the other's shirt. A hand soothingly rubbed at his back and gentle words were practically hummed into his ear. "It's okay. That's why you seemed so scared earlier."  
  
All Luhan could do was nod into the other's neck, taking a deep breath to try and calm his pounding heart and the fear running through him. Forgotten was the bubble tea cup where it had dropped to the floor and was idly rolling down the mild incline until it came to a stop against a rock that was jutting out of the grass. Everything was quiet bar the gentle murmurings Minseok was doing in Luhan's ear, trying to help him to calm down. And Luhan couldn't help but really appreciate that he was trying to help him.  
  
His initial fears about him being an axe murder? False. His worry about the other calling him crazy and just walking out of his life? False. His upset that Minseok was making fun of him and his ghost problem? False. And Luhan had never felt so glad to be wrong in his entire life. Minseok was a good guy. He was nice. He was decent. And already he was caring about Luhan, after only knowing him an hour or so, more than what his own family did.  
  
Taking another breath, Luhan finally loosened his hold on the other male, and risked a glance back towards the far trees only to blink a little in confusion. "She's gone..."  
  
"What?" Minseok asked, and Luhan looked back to him to see him too blinking in confusion. His eyebrows were furrowed and Luhan was hit with an almost strong need to run his finger between them. He managed to keep that somewhat random urge to himself though and instead returned his eyes to the tree line that was currently clear of any ghosts.  
  
"The ghost, she's gone."  
  
"Luhan..." Minseok started, giving him an uneasy look. "She's still there."  
  
Shaking his head, Luhan turned back to the empty tree line. "No, she's not. I can't see her."  
  
He felt the arms around him loosening as Minseok pulled away from the embrace. "Luhan, she's still there. Look."  
  
How could she still be there when Luhan couldn't see her? He doubted his ability to see ghosts had just vanished. So she couldn't be there now if he couldn't see her, right? His own eyebrows furrowed in confusion but he did as asked and looked back towards where the ghost had been before. Almost immediately another startled yelp fell from his lips as he jumped.  
  
There she was. Still just standing there, staring in their direction. Her dress still billowing softly in the wind. She was still there.  
  
Then... why wasn't he able to see her before? What had happened in that short time that had removed her from his sight but not Minseok's?  
  
He felt the other's small hand rest gently on his back again and he glanced up to find... an empty tree line again. What was going on?  
  
Slowly an idea began to form in his mind, a suspicion of why she kept disappearing. And with eyes locked on to the spot, with his heart thudding hard in his chest in fear, Luhan swallowed before speaking. "Minseok... Remove your hand for a second..."  
  
"What? Why?" Minseok asked, his hand unmoving on Luhan's back.  
  
Luhan quickly glanced at him, trying to almost plead him with his eyes for a moment before he locked his gaze on the spot in the tree line again. "I've got a theory... Please?"  
  
Though his eyes weren't on the other male he did hear Minseok's quiet sigh as the hand was finally removed from his back. Luhan bit down onto his bottom lip trying his hardest not to let his anxiety and fear get the better of him. Yet as the reassuring hand was removed, the ghost came back into view.  
  
Some how... Minseok's touch removed the ghosts from Luhan's sight. He didn't know how. He didn't know why. But if Luhan had been looking for a temporary cure, a reprieve no matter how small, he had just found it.  
  
"Minseok..." Luhan started, holding out a shaking hand towards him. "Grab my hand again."  
  
He knew that the other male was eyeing him curiously, but so far they had trusted each other and sure enough Luhan felt Minseok's fingers wrapping around his own as he took his hand. Yet again the ghost disappeared from view, and he let out a breath he didn't even notice he had been holding.  
  
Gripping Minseok's hand back tightly, he turned on the spot so his back was to the tree line again as he stared in amazement at the other male. He didn't say anything, the words stuck in his throat as disbelief ran through him. He didn't want to question it any further. Minseok could help him. He was the answer to a prayer he hadn't even realised he had made.  
  
The staring though was apparently a little unnerving as Minseok was looking at him in confusion. "What? What is it?"  
  
Luhan remained quiet, still just gazing at the other with pure hope and amazement shining in his eyes before he managed to find his voice again. "Minseok..." He started, his heart beat thudding loudly in his chest and his breaths tightening. "When you touch me... I can't see the ghosts."  
  
The other male blinked at him again, a little confused. "What?"  
  
"When you touch me, when you hold my hand, or rest your hand on my back or anything that involves us physically touching... I can't see the ghosts. That's why she kept disappearing from my sight."  
  
"R-Really?" Minseok asked, his hand tightening around Luhan's as a smile began to grow on his face.  
  
A smile which Luhan happily returned as he nodded. "Yeah." And before he knew what he was doing, he moved forward, throwing his arms around the smaller male and hugging him tightly, happiness beginning to radiate through him. He didn't want to get his hopes up completely but with his arms around Minseok, and the other's arms around him... he felt safe.  
  
Over by the tree line another figure emerged. One dressed all in black, with blond hair and an intense gaze in their dark eyes. They observed the two hugging forms silently for a moment, the expression on their face unreadable. The female ghost turned slowly to face the dark figure before cowering away and fading back into the trees. This went unnoticed by both Luhan and Minseok as well as the dark figure observing them.  
  
Instead the figure crossed long thin arms over it's chest before a soft voice left it's thin lips. "Yifan was right..." The voice was clearly male though with a pitch somewhat higher than what the figure's height would have led you to believe. It was full of power though and if Luhan had heard it, a chill would have ran through him.  
  
"Soon all will fall back into place."

 

**_~First Chorus~_ **

  
Dropping onto the wooden bench, Luhan sucked in a much needed breath as his hands fumbled for the hand towel in his bag. Finally finding the darn thing, he pulled it out to tiredly wipe at the sweat that had accumulated on the back of his neck. Others around him were doing the exact same thing, the dance class that they all attended having just finished for the day, and the room was filled with exhausted yet happy chatter.  
  
Life for Luhan was beginning to settle into a routine, which was definitely an improvement over the never ending fear he had lived in for so long. He was able to relax and actually enjoy his life. He could get out, do things, and not live his life as a recluse, terrified of his own shadow. And it was all thanks to Minseok really. The other male had easily and happily slotted into his life, and though they weren't with each other 24/7, whenever one of them wasn't busy they were together, giving Luhan a break from the ghosts that never left him alone.  
  
They were getting easier to ignore. If he was focused on something then he barely noticed their existence. But it was in the quiet moments that they started to nag at him. But thankfully Minseok would always be there to hold his hand, or pull him into a hug, and Luhan wouldn't have to deal with them for a while.  
  
The dance studio was one of the few places that had minimal ghosts. There was an occasional one or two but they were all harmless. Which made it a lot easier for Luhan to take dance classes again. Something that he had always done as a child and as he grew up. He only stopped dancing because of his accident. The repercussions of that taking precedence over everything else in his life. But not now. Now that he was starting to actually live again he could go back to dancing, adding another level of happiness to his life.  
  
Dropping the towel into his lap, Luhan leant back against the wall, letting the cool plaster seep into his over heated skin. The room began to empty around him, his classmates taking their leave one by one with promises to see each other again next session. He didn't really hear them though, too focused on getting his breath back and cooling his body down. It didn't take long though before he was the only one left and the locker room fell silent.  
  
With his eyes closed, he let his body slowly unwind, his head leaning back to lean against the wall also. A small smile danced around the edges of his lips as he took a breath.  
  
"How was class?"  
  
Opening his eyes, Luhan locked gazes with Minseok and the smile on his face widened into a happy grin. He hadn't heard him come in but then when his thoughts and focus turned inwards he barely noticed what was happening around him.  
  
"It was good." He replied, pushing himself forward and grabbing the bottle of water from his bag. "We added a whole new section to what we'd learnt already, and it's coming along nicely."  
  
"Good." Minseok smiled, taking a seat next to him on the bench. "Sounds like you're enjoying it."  
  
Uncapping the bottle, Luhan gave the other male a wide almost dazzling smile, happiness practically radiating off of him. "I am. It's nice to be dancing again." He didn't really need to explain further. They had talked about it many times before, as well as numerous other things since their lives had meshed together. It had only been a few months, but already Luhan knew Minseok, and Minseok knew Luhan. Their lives had slotted together so well it felt like they had always been together.  
  
Luhan had just poured some water into his mouth when another voice spoke up, a little nervously. "Um... Excuse me... Could you help me?"  
  
Looking over Luhan locked his eyes onto another male as he swallowed. He looked as if he was a few years older than what Luhan and Minseok were, the creases around his eyes showing age and maturity. He had short brown hair, warm brown eyes, and there was a small indentation in his cheek which Luhan suspected would turn into a dimple if the guy smiled. Right now he looked nervous, uneasy... wringing in his hands in front of him.  
  
The door hadn't gone though, and Luhan had definitely been paying enough attention to hear if it had. There had been no-one else bar the few instructors in one of the other practice studios in the building, and he knew them all by name and sight. This guy wasn't one of them. His suspicions were confirmed when Minseok tactfully linked their fingers together and the unknown guy disappeared from Luhan's sight.  
  
He was a ghost.  
  
Minseok squeezed his hand reassuringly before he removed his touch, allowing the spectre to fade back into view. "What's the problem?" Minseok asked, speaking up before Luhan could even decide what to do.  
  
The ghost gave a small sheepish smile, lifting a small hand to scratch at the back of his head. "Um, well..." He started, his eyes flicking between the two sitting men. "I... I've been stuck here for a few months, and I don't really know why. You're alive right?" He suddenly asked, his eyes locked onto Luhan who could only nod in response. "Then can you help me?"  
  
Luhan remained silent as he gazed up at the pleading ghost. He didn't know what to do. He had just been asked to help him, and though he seemed harmless... Luhan was still afraid. Why couldn't the ghost just leave him alone? He had been having such a good day and now this was happening.  
  
He felt the reassuring presence of Minseok leaning close, and sure enough the other began to whisper into his ear. "Lu... I think we should help him."  
  
"What?" He whispered back, his eyes widening at the other's suggestion.  
  
"We should help him. I know that you're afraid right now, but... we can't keep running from them forever." Minseok said. Luhan didn't want to believe him but he knew that he was right. No matter where he went there were ghosts, and as much as he wanted to keep hold of Minseok... it wasn't fair for him to force him to stick with him for the rest of his life... "And you never know, helping him could help you learn not to be so afraid of them."  
  
Narrowing his eyes, Luhan gave his friend a look of annoyance. He didn't like to be reminded of his fears, his weaknesses being picked apart like this. And he hated it even more that Minseok was right. He really didn't want to but he found himself turning back to face the ghost with a sigh. "What's your name?"  
  
"That's the problem..." The ghost started, flushing a soft red in front of their eyes. "I don't know..."  
  
Luhan blinked in confusion, staring up at the still unnamed ghost. "You don't know?"  
  
"No." The ghost admitted, shaking his head with a sheepish expression still spread across his face.  
  
How could they help this guy if he didn't even know his own name? It was starting to sound like a bit of a waste of their time, and Luhan gave the spectre an unsure look as Minseok spoke up next to him.  
  
"Well do you remember anything about how you died?"  
  
They received another shake of the head in reply, and Luhan could feel his frustration level beginning to rise. The ghost though looked incredibly apologetic as he spoke once more. "No. I don't remember anything, I don't know anything about myself. And I think that's why I'm stuck here. If I could somehow learn who I am, how I died, that sort of thing... maybe then I could move on."  
  
Luhan had to admit, the ghost's theory did sound plausible. Of course he couldn't speak from experience, still being very much alive himself. But he knew that all the ghosts around were there for a reason, being unable to move on for some explanation or other. It only made sense that if they could work out what the problem was and rectify it that then they would be able to move on in their afterlife.  
  
"So you want us to help you find out?" Luhan asked, looking up at the ghost once again. He could tell that Minseok was practically grinning from where he was sat next to him. He only would have continued the conversation this far if he was going to help, so his friend knew that he had won.  
  
The spectre nodded, a hopeful glimmer shining in his large eyes. "Yes please."  
  
He knew that there was a strong chance he was going to regret this. He knew that his reasoning behind agreeing to this was purely selfish. He didn't overly care about this ghost at all. He was only going to do this to help himself. It might help him to get over his fear, and if not... it was just one less ghost to terrify him on a daily basis. He didn't want to help... but he was going to.  
  
"Okay." Luhan said, finally nodding his agreement. He chose to ignore the beaming smile on Minseok's face and the knowing look in his eyes. He chose to ignore the blissfully relieved expression that had passed over the unnamed ghost's face. He chose to ignore everything bar the twisting in his gut. "I'll help."  
  


\---

  
The sound of fingers tapping on a computer keyboard filled the room followed by an exasperated sigh. "I don't even know what I'm supposed to be looking for. I mean we don't even know his name!" Luhan said, sighing in frustration again as he ran his fingers through his hair.  
  
He was sat on the couch in the living room of his apartment, Minseok pressed up against his arm as he leaned over to view the laptop screen. After agreeing to help the unnamed ghost they had decided that an internet search might be beneficial, but Luhan was pulling a blank in his mind of what to actually search for.  
  
"Well, he seems to be around the dance studio a lot. We'll start there and see if anything comes up." Minseok offered, and Luhan hummed as he pushed his lips forward into a thoughtful pout, his fingers already flying across the keys to type in the name of the studio.  
  
The screen was filled with an endless list of results, varying from the dance studio's actual website, which was no help at all in their quest, to competition pages stating the studio as one of the seasoned winners. None of it was helpful, but Luhan kept on clicking through the pages, hoping that eventually they might find a result that would link to their mystery ghost friend.  
  
Five pages in and Luhan was feeling frustrated again. "This is pointless. None of this relates to him at all. We're never going to be able to do this, Minnie." He said, the nickname slipping through his lips naturally.  
  
A small hand landed on his thigh, giving a reassuring and soothing squeeze before Luhan heard the gentle tones of Minseok's voice speaking quietly into his ear. "We'll get there. Don't give up hope already, Luhan."  
  
The taller of the two merely sighed again before clicking into the search box once more and amending the words. "The name alone isn't gonna do it. I'm gonna try adding the address in too, see what comes up then."  
  
This proved to be a better idea as a lot of the completely useless results disappeared, leaving more informative ones behind for them to hunt through. There was a lot of adverts for various classes including the very one that Luhan took. There was also more competition results pages. But on the second page of the search engine results, their eyes locked on to one specific headline.  
  
 _'Professional Dancer Victim of Hit and Run Outside Dance Studio'_  
  
The hand on Luhan's thigh tightened slightly and he didn't need any more persuasion to click on the link. They both waited with almost baited breath for the page to load completely. It was an article for the local newspaper dated from shortly after Luhan had moved to South Korea. That explained why he didn't remember reading about it.  
  
Scrolling down past a photo of the front of the dance studio cordoned off with police tape, Luhan began to chew on his bottom lip as he began to read. The article started off explaining the details of the accident, stating that the driver had been speeding under the influence of alcohol, and after turning onto the road outside of the studio, had failed to see the gentleman crossing the road.  
  
It then went on to describe the driver some more as well as more specific details into the timing of the accident, the exact location and other such information. They were only interested in facts about the victim though. Could this mystery person be their unnamed ghost? There was a high possibility. But to find out they needed more information first.  
  
Luhan continued to scroll through the article, his eyes scanning the text at an impressive speed. Finally they reached the section about the victim, and without even realising what they were doing, both Luhan and Minseok had leant forward closer to the screen as they read.  
  
 _'The unfortunate victim, Zhang Yixing, 29, had just finished attending a practice session at the studio and was crossing the road to return home when he tragically lost his life. Zhang was part of the award winning trio, EXO, alongside team-mates Oh Sehun, 26, and Kim Jongin, 27.  
  
"He was one of the kindest people I have ever met," Kim said when asked to comment on his team-mate's passing. "I'm going to miss him a lot."  
  
"Dancing will never be the same again for me. We're not EXO without him." Oh added.'_  
  
"I've heard of them... They were the talk of the town when I first got here." Luhan said, his eyes still glued onto the screen as he scrolled down a little more. "I always wondered what happened to them but I never expected this..."  
  
Suddenly Minseok gasped next to him and Luhan stilled his fingers, the screen freezing on a photo of the three dancers. The tallest was pale with a somewhat stoic expression, his hair was a mish-mash of various colours, looking almost like a rainbow. On the opposite side was a tanned youth, an almost sinful smirk on his lips as his eyes gazed seductively into the camera.  
  
It was the third male that caught their attention though. There, stood right in between the other two was their amnesiac ghost friend, smiling happily, dimple on display and his eyes sparkling with life.  
  
They finally had a name.  
  
"Zhang Yixing." Luhan said, breathing out the words as a wave of relief ran through him. "Oldest member of the EXO trio, died in a hit and run accident. We finally know who he is."  
  
"Yeah." Minseok exhaled next to him, leaning into the taller's side. "Hopefully this will help him to move on now."  
  
The laptop gave a quiet click as Luhan shut it, leaning back into the couch cushions as he sighed. "We can only hope."  
  


\---

  
They had been naive to think that just discovering his name would allow Yixing to pass on to the next stage of his afterlife. Of course it wasn't going to be that easy. But that didn't stop both Luhan and Minseok of being hopeful of a positive result. However when they informed the ghost of what they knew, nothing happened. He remained stood there in front of them, chewing on his bottom lip anxiously with confusion swimming in his eyes.  
  
Simply knowing the information wasn't going to be enough. He was going to have to actually remember for himself.  
  
That was why the three of them were currently making their way through a quiet graveyard, on a warm sunny afternoon. Luhan and Minseok were leading, walking side by side with the backs of their hands occasionally brushing, while Yixing brought up the rear.  
  
Even though Yixing was born in China, his family had moved to South Korea when the dancer had only been a few years old, and they were all considered residents of the country now. So when the unfortunate accident had happened, his body had ended up being buried at the local graveyard, close to his family home.  
  
Luhan had hoped that them visiting Yixing's grave might help to trigger something within the ghost's memory. And Minseok had agreed, stating it to be a good idea at least. Even if they didn't get the results they wanted, this was still a good attempt at helping.  
  
"So... Stage one was a bust." Luhan sighed, his words quiet enough so only Minseok next to him could hear them. "Let's hope stage two goes better. But... it's not going to, is it?"  
  
"Luhan..." Minseok said, soft amusement echoing in his words as he linked their fingertips together for a moment. The gesture was soothing, and it brought a tiny smile to appear along the edges of Luhan's lips. "Even if stage two fails as well, we would have made progress at least. And any progress is good progress."  
  
The taller of the two fell silent for a moment, his smile growing slightly as his affection for the other grew, before he playfully bumped shoulders with Minseok. "You always see the good in everything. I don't know how you do it."  
  
"Habit." He answered easily, his usual wide smile spreading across his lips. "I grew up in a broken household. My mother left us when I was a baby, so it was just me and my Dad. We struggled for a long time, but my Dad always told me to look at the bright side of things, and I always try to do just that."  
  
"Well it's definitely a good quality. Your father brought you up well." Luhan smiled, gently gripping onto the other's fingers a little tighter.  
  
"I'll make sure to tell him that the next time I see him." Minseok said, smiling warmly as he gently squeezed Luhan's hand before dropping the hold so Yixing could fade back into view.  
  
Luhan loved to hear about Minseok's past. It allowed him to gradually learn more about the guy who had so easily slipped into his life, bringing them closer. Because sometimes Luhan talked so much that he felt like the other knew everything about him, but Luhan knew next to nothing about Minseok. So on the times that his friend would reveal something about himself, be it about his past, or some mention of a hobby, or anything, Luhan listened attentively, storing the information away in his head in a little blue file labelled 'Baozi'.  
  
They continued to make their way through the graves, keeping their eyes peeled for one labelled with Yixing's name. It didn't take them long, though, before they found it. It was nestled in between two rather large garish headstones towards the back of the quarter they were searching through. But there was no mistaking that it was his. 'Zhang Yixing' was carved into the stone, along with the usual years of birth and death.  
  
His steps coming to a stop, Luhan hung back, letting Yixing step forward and up to the grave stone. He wasn't sure why, but a chill ran through him, almost as if there was eyes watching him. But when he turned to scan the area there was nobody else around bar the three of them. No other living person, no other ghost, no-one. Yet the feeling was still there. It was creepy.  
  
"Anything?" He heard Minseok's voice from next to him, and turning back to face the other two his gaze returned to them just in time to see Yixing shaking his head, a down-trodden expression on his face.  
  
"No." The ghost sighed, frustration clear in the tense line of his shoulders, and the slight whine in his voice. "Nothing. I could be looking at anybody's grave right now, for all the good this is doing me."  
  
Luhan watched as Minseok stepped forward and placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "Hey, we'll get you your memories back okay? We just have to try harder." There he went again, being their own personal cheerleader. He really didn't know what they would do without him. What  _he_  would do without him.  
  
"Minseok's right, Yixing. We'll just try something else, okay? We'll get there." Luhan chirped up, giving the ghost a smile of his own. He wasn't quite as confident as Minseok, but he couldn't let Yixing know that. He had agreed to help him, and it was too late for him to take his words back now. Plus the ghost wasn't really all that bad. From the small bits he had learned, the spectre was a really nice guy who was just taken from the world way too early. If he had still been alive, Luhan suspected that they could have been great friends.  
  
"Okay. But... What should we try now?" The spectre asked, anxiety flooding his form.  
  
That... was a good question, and one that Luhan wasn't sure how to answer. He turned his own questioning eyes onto Minseok, hoping that his friend would have an idea about what their next move was. And, true to form, he didn't disappoint.  
  
"How about we try speaking to your old team-mates? Kim Jongin and Oh Sehun? Maybe that will help you to remember."  
  
"I... I don't know." Yixing said, doubt echoing in his voice and eyes.  
  
Luhan quickly nodded his agreement though, stepping closer to the other two as he smiled warmly trying to cheer Yixing up. The dejected look on the ghost's face was almost heartbreaking and it didn't belong there at all. "It doesn't hurt to try right?"  
  
He still didn't look too sure, but Luhan was relieved when the ghost slowly nodded his head in agreement. "I guess..."  
  
Catching Minseok's eye, he gave a small smile. "Stage three?"  
  
"Stage three."  
  


\---

  
Finding Kim Jongin was a relatively easy task. In fact they didn't have to look any further than at the dance studio. Since the trio was disbanded, due to Yixing's untimely death, Jongin had remained on at the studio as a dance teacher, teaching the kids classes. Luhan had seen him walking around the building a few times but had never really put his name to his face before. But now that they needed to find him to talk to him, that knowledge was incredibly helpful.  
  
Only two of them were sat waiting for the kids and teenager dance classes to finish, Minseok having something else that he needed to do. And Luhan was missing the older's presence a lot. It wasn't that he didn't like Yixing. But he was a ghost, and even though Luhan wasn't necessarily afraid of him, he still felt uneasy around him.  
  
"So..." Yixing's voice echoed in the corridor where they were waiting, breaking the somewhat awkward silence between them. "How did you meet Minseok?"  
  
Glancing over at the ghost, Luhan absent-mindedly scuffed the toe of his sneaker against the floor. "I, um... I ran into him, quite literally."  
  
"Oh." The other said, nodding gently before clearing his throat. "You guys are very... close."  
  
Narrowing his eyes Luhan scrutinised the ghost who was sat next to him on the hard chairs of the waiting area in the hall. What was he trying to do with this line of questioning? It was one thing to try and make conversation, but there was something in the other's eyes and stance that made it seem as if Yixing was trying to make a deliberate point.  
  
"We are." Luhan said, his eyes locked onto the ghost with his eyebrows furrowed. "He helps me out a lot."  
  
"Hmm..." Yixing hummed a little uncommitted before he looked away from the piercing gaze that Luhan was directing at him. "It's strange."  
  
"What's strange?" Luhan asked, the pitch of his voice raising so he was almost squeaking. Yixing was definitely trying to make a point now, he was sure of that. But what was he trying to get at? Was his and Minseok's friendship wrong or something?  
  
The ghost didn't have time to reply though before the hallway was filled with sudden noise as hordes of children with their parents appeared, streaming towards the entrance of the studio. The younger classes had finished meaning there would be an hour or two before the evening adult classes would begin. Plenty of time for them to find Jongin and talk to him.  
  
"Time to move?" Yixing asked, his attention seemingly distracted from their previous conversation.  
  
Luhan just sighed mentally to himself before nodding. "Yeah, come on. We better grab him now before he leaves. I don't want us to have sat here waiting for nothing." He felt a little irritated after that inappropriate questioning, and he couldn't stop it from seeping into his tone as he stood up, brushing his jeans off and beginning to stalk down the hall.  
  
He glanced through the window of every door that he passed, hoping to see a familiar figure. But it wasn't until he reached the last room did he spot the man they were looking for.  
  
There at the side of the room, fiddling with the music player was Kim Jongin. He didn't look overly different from the picture in the paper. He still had the same dark hair, the same aura of confidence. The only difference that Luhan could see was that the older dancer lacked the sparkle he had once had in his eyes. And there were two very prominent gaps by his sides where his team-mates once stood.  
  
It was horrible how much death could change someone. Kim Jongin had once been a charismatic dancer who oozed sex appeal with a single glance. And though Luhan knew that the other still danced and loved to do so, Yixing's death had changed him. The passion to actually perform on stage had vanished, leaving Jongin behind to become nothing more than a teacher. And who knew what had happened to Oh Sehun, who had just disappeared completely.  
  
Lifting his hand, Luhan rapped his knuckles against the wooden door, watching as the man within looked up and beckoned him in. He quickly opened the door, and slid into the room, giving Jongin a small somewhat awkward smile. At least he didn't have to worry about holding the door open for Yixing. Ghosts could just walk through the walls if they wanted to go somewhere.  
  
"Kim Jongin?" Luhan asked, unsure of where to even start with talking to this man. He knew so much about him already, and he was almost positive that this was going to be strange for Jongin. Having a random stranger approach you and ask you about your friend who had passed away in a tragic accident... Yeah, that definitely wasn't something that happened every day. And Luhan had no idea how to make this whole encounter run smoothly.  
  
"Yeah." The taller male answered, giving Luhan a once over with his eyes. That... was a little uncomfortable, but wasn't something that he was unused to. It was just rather intimidating coming from someone who was looking at him so intensely. "You're Luhan right? From the adult class?"  
  
Maybe he wasn't so unknown to him after all then. "Yeah, that's me." Luhan said, quickly nodding in confirmation.  
  
"You're a good dancer, I've sat in on some of your classes. But you're next session isn't until tomorrow right?"  
  
Luhan found himself nodding again but this time a little more sheepishly. "Right. I, um... I actually wanted to talk to you."  
  
The other's eyes blinked at him in slight confusion, making him look almost like a puppy, and Luhan was taken aback for a moment. Jongin had gone from intense dancer to clueless puppy in the space of a few seconds. How was that even possible? It was only when the other's deep voice echoed in the room again did Luhan snap out of his bemusement.  
  
"Sure. What about?"  
  
Here it was. If there was going to be any problem with talking to Jongin it was going to be this. How he reacted to what Luhan was about to say was going to be the make or break of the conversation. And he really hoped it was the more positive of the two options.  
  
"Zhang Yixing." Luhan answered his eyes glued onto the dancer's frame. Immediately he saw how Jongin tensed up, and panic started to flutter within him. He wasn't going to talk was he? He was going to wave Luhan off and say that he didn't want to talk about him. They would have come here for nothing. And Yixing would still be stuck waiting around for the time when his memory would return and he could move on.  
  
Eventually though, after licking his lips, Jongin replied a little warily. "What about him?"  
  
Luhan hadn't thought this far. Yes he wanted, and needed, for them to talk about Yixing but he hadn't thought of what to say if he was asked why. He had to think fast. "W-Well... I've been told by a few people that I dance like him." He started, his brain moving fast to come up with something that sounded plausible. "I've seen quite a few videos of him performing and I really look up to him and respect him as a dancer. But... I don't know what he was like as a person. I was wondering if you could help me with that?"  
  
Jongin remained silent for a moment, his body continuing to move as he shut the music player off completely and grabbed a bottle of water. He flopped himself down against the mirror, leaning against it before he finally spoke up. "Sure. I mean it's hard to talk about but... I find it helps."  
  
Well that was definitely a relief. At least with the dancer's agreement to talk, Luhan was actually getting somewhere. He didn't want his first task alone without Minseok to fail already. But so far so good.  
  
He gave the other man a grateful smile as he curled his legs underneath him and took a seat on the floor opposite him. "Thank you. I appreciate this a lot."  
  
"It's no problem." Jongin replied, lifting a hand to almost wave off Luhan's words. "Where to start though, that's the hard part."  
  
Luhan felt when Yixing sat down next to him, their knees brushing slightly. Why the ghost had to sit so close to him he didn't know. But a quick glance out of his peripheral vision granted him with the sight of the ghost sat leaning forward eagerly with excitement shining in his eyes. He definitely didn't look the twenty nine years that he was in that moment.  
  
Looking back to Jongin, Luhan knew not to press him too hard into talking. This was bound to be hard for him, so it was best to allow him to just take his time. It wasn't like they really had a time limit to speak by. He didn't have anything else to do that day, and he already knew that the dancer didn't have any other classes to teach either.  
  
Sure enough, after the other male had moistened his mouth with some water, he began to talk. "Yixing was... well... one of the best friends I have ever had. He was warm, funny... almost too kind to a fault. He always put others before himself. Not that he was a saint or anything; being friends with me and Sehun rubbed off on him on more than a few occasions. But all you had to do was just look at him and you knew that he was a great guy."  
  
"From what I've heard that seems to be the general consensus." Luhan chuckled, unable to stop the warm smile from appearing on his lips. Even in the short time he had known the ghost, he had to admit that that description fitted him perfectly.  
  
The dancer nodded his agreement, a chuckle of his own echoing throughout the room. "Everybody loved him, he was just that kind of guy. He didn't really have a bad bone in his body. Only bad influences that brought out his mischievous side."  
  
"You and Sehun?" Luhan asked. Another glance out of his peripheral vision showed a bright grin on Yixing's face. He was clearly enjoying this, which was good really. Hopefully it would all be of some help to him.  
  
Jongin let out a bark of laughter, his whole face crinkling up. "Yeah. There was this one time when we weren't quite of legal age, but we wanted to go clubbing..."  
  


\---

  
Finding Oh Sehun was a more difficult task, and they only managed it with Jongin's help.  
  
After the dancer had finished regaling Luhan, and unknowingly Yixing as well, with tales about some of the escapades the three of them had gotten up to, they had ended up talking about the youngest of the trio. According to Jongin, Sehun never visited the studio any more. He had stopped dancing completely and just faded away into everybody's memory.  
  
Jongin was still in contact with him though, if but rarely sharing a text or phone call, but he was still in contact with him. And after agreeing that it would do Sehun some good to talk to Luhan about Yixing too, he had quickly passed over the other's number.  
  
They had left it a day or so, just to regroup with Minseok and come up with a plan of action before speaking to the last member of the team. They had decided to just stick with the story that Luhan had quickly come up with. It was believable, not too complicated, and so far had given positive results. Even if Yixing was still with them.  
  
Once they felt ready though, Luhan had rang the number he was given, speaking to the softly spoken Sehun for a time before the latter eventually agreed to meet up.  
  
That was how Luhan found himself sat in one of his favourite bubble tea places, Yixing at his side, while they waited for the other dancer to turn up. Minseok was missing yet again, having made his apologies, mentioning something about his father... Either way, he wasn't there, meaning that once again Luhan was left with the ghost on his own.  
  
At least the other ghosts in the area were leaving him alone. He had caught sight of Jongdae earlier but the trickster spectre had merely waved at him before proceeding to try and trip up a businessman who was speed-walking down the street and talking angrily into his phone. As long as it wasn't himself that he was picking on, Luhan didn't really care.  
  
"Excuse me?" Came a voice from his side, causing Luhan to jump a little, startled, before he looked up at the stranger who had addressed him. Immediately he knew that it was Sehun, even if the rainbow hair had been replaced with a soft chocolate brown colour. The way he held himself was so reminiscent of a dancer that Luhan couldn't help but think that even though Sehun had given up dancing... that didn't stop him from being a dancer. "Are you Luhan?"  
  
"Yes. Oh Sehun, right? It's nice to finally meet you." Luhan beamed back, pushing himself to his feet to gently take the other's hand in a welcoming handshake.  
  
"Likewise." The dancer replied, his voice just as soft in person as it was on the phone. He cleared his throat, their grips on each other's hands dropping before Luhan indicated the seat opposite him. He had noticed with some amusement that Sehun had apparently gone for a Strawberry flavoured bubble tea, the light pink of the drink giving the flavour choice away.  
  
They settled into a companionable silence as they both rested back into their seats, relaxing into the atmosphere for the moment. Sehun cleared his throat again though before he turned his eyes onto Luhan. "So... Jongin told me that you wanted to learn more about Yixing-hyung?"  
  
"That's right. I know a lot about his career but not much about him as a person." Luhan explained, his hands gently wrapped around his own bubble tea cup. "Jongin told me some things but I wanted to hear your opinion about him too."  
  
The taller male let out a gentle chuckle, his eyes dropping to the table. "My opinion on Yixing-hyung probably isn't all that different from Jongin's. But sure, I guess I can tell you a few things about him."  
  
"Thank you." Luhan smiled, bowing his head a little in gratitude. He had expected Sehun to put up more of a fight in regards to talking about Yixing. From what he had heard it was a very tough subject for him. But Luhan had a suspicion that Jongin had been in contact with his old team-mate which was why the taller was being so agreeable to the situation.  
  
"It's no problem." Sehun smiled, before he leant back in his seat and began to talk. "Yixing-hyung to me was the epitome of dance. But not only that, he was also like the older brother that I never had. He was always there for me, ever since we met. He was the whole reason why I even started dancing. He spotted my potential and got me into the class that he and Jongin were a part of. Ever since that point we were a team."  
  
The pain in Sehun's eyes was heartbreaking for Luhan to witness. It was clear just how much the older dancer meant to Sehun. And he was starting to understand just why the other had stopped dancing with the death of one of his closest friends.  
  
"Losing Yixing... was like a losing a limb. I felt so off-balanced... I still do." Sehun continued, drawing absent-minded patterns in the condensation of his drink cup. "I'm not like Jongin or Yixing. They were born to dance, to perform. Me? I can't do it without the both of them."  
  
"You were a team. You never trained as a solo dancer." Luhan said, understanding dawning in his eyes.  
  
"Exactly. Though not only that... The two of them, our team? They were my inspiration for dancing." Sehun explained, lifting his shoulders into a gentle shrug. "You can't dance without inspiration."  
  
He looked so lost, Luhan thought. The look in his eyes was so distant and sad. Still, after all this time he was missing his friend and mourning his death. He couldn't blame him for making the decisions that he did. He had a feeling that had he been in Sehun's shoes, he would have made the exact same choices.  
  
Glancing sideways to check on Yixing, he spotted the ghost anxiously chewing on his bottom lip. He looked like something was bothering him, his eyebrows furrowed and his body language turned inwards. Had Sehun's words unlocked something in the ghost's mind?  
  


\---

  
"So... How did it go?" Minseok asked from his place next to Luhan on the younger's couch. They were back in his apartment, regrouping again so they could plan the next course of action. Both Minseok and Luhan were curled up together on the piece of furniture while Yixing paced the floor in front of them, his eyebrows furrowed.  
  
Luhan hadn't really wanted to invite the ghost into his home but it was the best place for the three of them to talk without risking other people walking in on them. He didn't particularly enjoy being stared at like he was crazy or insane, which was a common occurrence when they caught him supposedly talking to himself. So to save a lot of hassle, and after gentle persuasion from Minseok, Luhan had reluctantly welcomed Yixing into his home.  
  
"They both really miss him, that much is clear." Luhan answered, snuggling back into the cushions slightly. "They spoke a lot about things they had all done together and such. Did it help?" He asked, turning his eyes onto the pacing ghost.  
  
Yixing looked a little distracted, his eyes distant as he practically wore a path into the floor. "It all sounds so familiar." He said, his voice quiet and faraway. "But, not like a memory... more like deja vu?"  
  
"That's better than nothing, though, right?" Minseok offered, his smile pulling Luhan's eyes and automatically making him mirror the gesture. He was like a ball of sunshine, always able to fill him with happiness and making him relax. He had that affect on everyone though, from what Luhan had seen.  
  
"I guess..." Yixing acquiesced before a deep sigh left his lips and he ran his hand almost viciously through his hair. "That's not what's frustrating me though."  
  
Luhan almost unwillingly pulled his gaze from Minseok's face only to look up quizzically at the ghost. "What's wrong then?"  
  
The room was silent for a moment or two before the spectre sighed again, his shoulders slumping. "It's Sehun. He stopped dancing because of me. I don't like that. I don't like that at all." He confided, falling silent again as he continued to pace the floor. He froze though before turning to face the two on the couch. Luhan had a bad feeling about this, especially when he saw the almost pleading twinkle in the ghost's eyes. "We have to get him dancing again. Please?"  
  
"What? Why?" Luhan asked, trying his hardest not to groan and bury his face in his hands. Helping Yixing was one thing, but helping Yixing's friends too? If he had known that assisting the ghost would prove so difficult and with so many added clauses, he never would have agreed.  
  
"Because, you are already doing so much to help me and you're already talking to him so it wouldn't seem strange coming from you. You're the only one that can do it, Luhan."  
  
No. He didn't want to. This seemed like an even bigger waste of time than helping Yixing to begin with. And he did not want to be spending his whole life helping out everyone that Yixing asked him to. No matter if Minseok was sat giving him a purposeful look. No, he wasn't going to.  
  
"But, why? What would be the point?" Luhan argued, his arms moving to cross over his chest as an almost petulant pout appeared on his lips.  
  
"Sehun would be dancing again which he needs to be. And... it could help me, Luhan. This might be what I need to finally move on. This could be the trigger."  
  
Now that was unfair. Pulling that move on him meant that Luhan had no choice but to agree. And he really didn't want to. He didn't care if he was coming across fairly childish, he just wanted this whole thing to be over. He just wanted to be left alone, though Minseok could stay. Minseok could always stay. He could stay forever if he wanted to, Luhan certainly wouldn't complain about that.  
  
Minseok, though, had other ideas. He had cuddled up close to Luhan's side and had cupped his chin to turn his head so their gazes were locked on to each other's. "Lu..." He started, the tone of his voice so incredibly gentle as the nickname sent Luhan's heart fluttering. "Yixing has a point... This could be it."  
  
All the fight in Luhan drained away. They were both right. This could be the event that would allow Yixing to finally pass on. Which meant that they had to try. And with the two of them teaming up against him, he really had no choice. Especially not when Minseok pulled moves such as calling him 'Lu' and cupping his face like that. How was he supposed to resist that? It was impossible. "How?" He asked, his voice no louder than a whisper. "How are we going to do this?"  
  
The smile he received in reply was almost blinding to his eyes, but it filled him with hope and he felt his strength beginning to return. "I've got an idea."  
  


\---

  
Minseok's idea had resulted in a lot of discussion between Luhan, Jongin and Sehun, the passing of a few months and a lot of energy being used up. Frequently Luhan would shuffle home back to his apartment, his body completely spent, where he would collapse onto his bed and snuggle up against Minseok's side, who was always there waiting for him.  
  
Okay, so that wasn't so bad. Minseok was like a giant teddy bear and it felt strangely right for Luhan to bury his face in his neck and wrap his arms around his chest. Yet another example of how they slotted together nicely. And though Luhan worried that he was becoming a little clingy, Minseok never complained.  
  
Yixing hadn't minded having to wait either. Actually he took great pleasure in lurking around the dance studio and watching the progress that the three dancers were making. It sometimes made Luhan feel somewhat awkward. He had to do this right after all, there was a lot at stake... Yixing's chance to move on, the other two's careers... his own dignity. But the ghost reassured him time and time again that he was doing it right and that he had nothing to worry about.  
  
Finally, though, the evening of the event was upon them and Luhan peeked out from behind the curtain to see the seats being filled. It was a full house, and he felt his nerves beginning to sky rocket. It had been a long time since he had last put himself out there in front of a crowd that large. And despite everybody's reassurances he was still terrified that he was going to do a bad job. He had to do this though... for Yixing.  
  
"Hey... are you okay?"  
  
Looking behind him, Luhan's eyes immediately met the excitedly twinkling ones of Jongin. There was that spark that had been missing before. Sehun was right... Jongin really was born to dance and to perform.  
  
"There are so many people out there." He answered, his nerves seeping into his voice.  
  
"Yeah." Jongin chuckled. "Yixing-hyung was well loved by everyone. I don't think any of them would have missed this for the world."  
  
Luhan remained quiet, merely nodding in reply as he looked back out towards the growing crowd. He was looking for two specific people, one in particular, and it took him a few sweeps with his eyes before he spotted them. There, fairly near the front but towards the side was Minseok and Yixing. The ghost looked to be practically bouncing in excitement and even Minseok's eyes were bright with the promise of seeing a darn good show.  
  
Yeah... no pressure then.  
  
A warm hand came to land on Luhan's shoulder and he jumped slightly before looking back up at Jongin. "This was a good idea, you know, putting on a dance recital in Yixing's memory. He would have loved it."  
  
"I'm sure he would have." Luhan replied, his voice gentle as he returned the warm smile. Jongin's hand squeezed his shoulder and they both turned to look out at the audience again. The doors had been shut and the crowd of people were settling into their seats, a quiet buzz of their chatter echoing around the hall.  
  
"What are you guys doing?" Came another voice from behind them. Both Luhan and Jongin turned to face the playfully scowling Sehun who was staring at them a little in impatience with his hands on his hips. "The show's about to start, come on!"  
  
Jongin let out a loud bark of laughter before sauntering over to the still scowling Sehun, and Luhan watched as he all but jumped on the other dancer, pulling him into a tight hug. "Come on then, Sehunnie. Let's dance."  
  
They weren't going to be the first act performing. They weren't even in the middle of the show. No, their act was labelled as the highlight of the show so naturally they were billed to be last. With two thirds of the famous EXO trio putting on a dance recital in their team member's memory, of course they were going to be the highlight.  
  
Luhan had put so much effort, time and energy into learning the routines. Thankfully, true to everybody's words, Yixing's style was very similar to his own so learning the ghost's moves proved to be an easier task than he had originally feared. Plus having Yixing there to help correct him when he was working on his own was a great help too.  
  
And now was the day that all their hard work would come to fruition with hopefully the best results possible.  
  
The show began with the MC of the event, the studio's head instructor and, incidentally, the trio's choreographer, welcoming everybody to the recital and giving a little history about just why they were all there. Originally Luhan had asked Minseok if he wanted to MC the show but he had turned it down saying he hadn't known Yixing when he was alive so it would have been awkward. So, after some more failing in persuading him, Luhan had switched ideas and asked the choreographer instead.  
  
Various acts performed their pieces, all with minimal mistakes, and Luhan watched them all from his place in the wings. He could just about see Yixing from where he was stood, hidden behind the curtains and he could tell even from this distance that he was enjoying every single routine. He had a wide happy smile on his face and he could not tear his eyes away from the stage where everybody was dancing for him. Even Minseok was watching the proceedings with what looked like a proud smile on his lips.  
  
Soon enough the end of the recital arrived, and Luhan took a deep breath, gripping Jongin's and Sehun's hands for a moment before they walked out onto the stage and took their positions.  
  
Everyone was silent. Luhan couldn't hear anything bar his own breathing and the thudding in his chest. This was it.  
  
The first few beats echoed in the room, and thus the dance began. It was a familiar tune and routine to Yixing, and everybody else there to watch. It was the dance the trio had performed that had achieved them their biggest score and their biggest win. It was the one they were most proud of.  
  
The first part of the routine was very dubsteppy and the three of them moved fluidly through the moves, hitting it hard at all the right points. Unknown to Yixing though, they had modified the music to add in some new sections. And about half way through the original routine, the song changed, slowing down to a ballad as Luhan and Sehun melted off of the stage, leaving Jongin in the spotlight.  
  
The other two took a moment to catch their breaths watching as the remaining dancer on stage continued to perform. Jongin's solo section was more ballet and lyrical than it was hip-hop, but it still slotted in seamlessly with the rest of their performance. Every move that he made was just so elegant and emotional, and Luhan was starting to feel a little choked up himself from where he was watching in the wings.  
  
It was different watching Jongin dance during an actual performance rather than during a rehearsal. The same went for any dancer that he worked with really. There was just something about the night of a performance that gave everyone that little bit more energy and gave them all a sparkle that just added to their dance.  
  
The music changed again, picking up a little more speed as Sehun replaced Jongin on the stage. Luhan risked a glance out to the audience then, his eyes immediately picking out Yixing. His mouth was open, a little in shock, but Luhan could tell that his eyes were shining with unshed tears. He couldn't really blame him. If he had been in Yixing's position... he likely would be the same.  
  
Sehun's solo was a lyrical piece too, though without the finesse of Jongin's more balletic approach. The piece of music he had chosen was still a ballad but was a little more upbeat, giving him more opportunities to show off his differing style.  
  
He was definitely wrong to think that he wasn't born to dance and perform. At least in Luhan's opinion. Because watching him out there, giving the dance routine his all... he looked like he belonged. This really was what he was meant to do. And he just hoped that performing tonight with Jongin by his side was going to be enough to keep Sehun dancing. They may have lost Yixing, but they still had each other after all.  
  
The song picked up again and Jongin slid back out onto the stage, beginning a duet with Sehun who had moved over to make room for the other. Luhan didn't pay too much attention to this part of the routine, having to focus instead on preparing himself for the next section. He shook out his limbs, keeping his joints and muscles pumped ready to dance once again. He counted down the beats in his head, waiting for the tell-tale change in the music before he finally joined the other two on the stage.  
  
The song they were dancing to would definitely be one that Yixing would recognise. It was a piece he had edited himself; he had changed the tempo on it and re-recorded the song with his own vocals. They had randomly found the disc with it on when searching for one of the others that they had wanted to sample. And immediately the three of them had agreed to use it.  
  
So as Yixing's voice echoed out across the hall, Luhan, Jongin and Sehun danced their hardest, moving as if they were a single unit to the stunned silence of the crowd.  
  
The song and routine gradually slowed down until the last note of the song rang out and the three of them were stood in a line looking upwards, one of their hands reaching up to the sky before lowering to land over their hearts.  
  
There was a moment of complete silence before the entire hall erupted into loud cheering and applause, as well as quite a few sniffles from those who had been overcome with emotion. They had done it. It couldn't have gone better if they had tried. It was just perfect. And after taking a bow Luhan's eyes immediately met those of the ghost.  
  
Yixing was gazing at them in such gratitude with happy tears sliding down his cheeks. A touched smile was on his lips and he was applauding enthusiastically along with the rest of the crowd. His eyes met Luhan's though and he lifted a hand to wave, his lips moving though no sound coming out as his form began to fade.  
  
They had done it. Yixing had remembered. They had gotten Sehun to dance again. Yixing was finally able to move on... They had done it.  
  
"Thank you." Had been what the ghost had mouthed, and tears had sprung to Luhan's own eyes as he bid goodbye to Yixing. It had definitely been worth it to help him. And Luhan was going to miss him, but he deserved to move on in his afterlife and finally be at peace.  
  
As the last faint outline of Yixing's form faded away, Luhan had to swallow down a sob as his eyes finally met Minseok's. The other was looking at him with such affection that it was a little overwhelming after everything that had just happened. And to see the pride in Minseok's eyes...  
  
It was definitely worth it.

 

**_~First Bridge~_ **

  
Saying goodbye to Yixing had been hard, but Luhan had known that it was going to happen. Yixing was a ghost after all and they were helping him so he could finally move on. So saying goodbye to him was a given. Jongin and Sehun though? That was a little harder.  
  
The two had decided that were going to travel around a bit, attending dance competitions in various different cities, all in Yixing's name. He would have been proud of them. Luhan definitely was. But he hated having to say goodbye.  
  
They split ways with the promise of seeing each other again one day, maybe when the two of them reached Seoul again. But Luhan knew that that had likely been the last time that they would ever see each other again.  
  
After that life had returned to relatively normal for him. He had taken over Jongin's classes, becoming the instructor for the kids dance lessons instead. Having a job kept him busy, kept his mind busy. It certainly kept him distracted from the still ever present ghosts that followed him around. And when he didn't have dance to distract him then he had Minseok.  
  
The other male was still right there, by his side, nearly every second of every day, and Luhan was so grateful to have met him when he did. Not all spirits that were still on the earth were friendly after all. On more than a few occasions Luhan would find himself being stalked by a ghost with murderous intentions and it was only thanks to Minseok cradling him and persuading the spectre to leave them alone that he had survived this far.  
  
It was unfair, nobody else had this problem. Even Minseok didn't have this problem until Luhan had barged into his life. And yet the smaller male refused to leave Luhan, choosing to stick with him even with the sometimes life-threatening hassle. He really was a guardian angel or something.  
  
Exiting the front entrance of the dance studio, Luhan let a happy smile spread across his face before he all but bounced over to Minseok's side. He immediately threaded their fingers together, wiping a few ghostly forms that were slowly meandering down the street out of his sight. "Thanks for waiting." He smiled, squeezing the smaller hand in his warmly.  
  
"No problem. How was class?" Minseok asked him, returning his smile as they began to head back to Luhan's apartment.  
  
"It was good. The kids are picking it up well. They might even be ready for competition soon."  
  
"Well that's good. I can't wait to see them perform."  
  
Their voices faded away as they continued to walk, leaving the dance studio behind. The figure leaning against the wall of the building opposite the studio, though, kept his eyes firmly locked on the departing duo.  
  
If Luhan had looked back and spotted him he would have recognised him to be the random blond guy who had appeared in his hospital room back in China, when he had first woken up with his ghost seeing powers. The mysterious figure in black who had looked at Luhan with chillingly cold eyes.  
  
He remained rooted to the spot, even after Luhan and Minseok had faded from his sight. A pensive look painted his face with pursed lips and a thoughtful glint in his eyes.  
  
"Interesting... Let's see how far he gets." He finally pushed himself off of the wall, turning and beginning to walk away. His footsteps made no sound.  
  
"Time is ticking..."  
  


\---

  
Stepping into his apartment, Luhan immediately kicked off his shoes, uncaring of where they landed as he groaned in satisfaction. Home, he could finally relax.  
  
He dropped his backpack onto the couch on his way through to the kitchen, calling out to Minseok who had followed into the apartment behind him, closing the door. "Hey, do you want anything to eat? I'm starving!"  
  
"No thanks, I ate earlier." Minseok answered back, his voice trickling into the kitchen where Luhan was rummaging through the fridge.  
  
Standing up, a piece of chocolate already in his mouth, he scowled playfully as he looked towards the door where he knew Minseok was watching him in affection. "You always eat without me! Do my table manners disgust you or something?" He said, a playful pout upon his lips.  
  
The other male chuckled warmly, his eyes disappearing into crescents just how Luhan liked them to as he wandered over. He slid his arms around the taller's waist and with just that one simple gesture Luhan lost any will to pretend to be upset with him. "Of course not. I just have a different schedule to you." He explained. "It's okay though, go cook yourself a meal. I don't mind."  
  
"Fine." Luhan sighed dramatically before he lifted his hand to poke Minseok's nose with a playful giggle. "But don't start moaning at me when your stomach starts to rumble. You turned down my food. And I don't offer twice in one day."  
  
Pulling out of the other's arms Luhan immediately began to move around the kitchen, preparing himself something quick yet filling to eat. He soon settled on a mix of rice and noodles. Mainly because that was all he really had left in his cupboards besides snacks. He would need to make a run to the supermarket soon. He had enough for now though, and within a few minutes he had a steaming bowl of food which he carried through to the living room.  
  
Flopping down onto the couch, he idly switched the television on, barely giving it a glance as he snuggled into Minseok's side, already beginning to stuff his face with his meal. Now that he was eating he realised just how hungry he actually was. But then dance did tend to make him ravenous.  
  
"So," He started, talking around a mouthful of rice. "How was your day?"  
  
"Quiet really. I went to see my Dad again." Minseok answered, his voice falling into it's usual soft tone.  
  
Lifting a hand to cover his mouth, Luhan licked at the mess on his lips before swallowing everything that was in his mouth as he raised his eyes to Minseok. "Oh really? How is he?"  
  
Minseok gave him a soft smile in reply, the expression matching the tone of his voice. "He's okay in spirit. But his health is getting worse again. He needs a lot more help now than he did before. But I don't mind. He's my Dad."  
  
Stuffing his cheeks with noodles, Luhan raised an eyebrow at Minseok, giving him a somewhat unimpressed look. "Minseok..." He said, once he chewed the noodles down enough to slide into his cheek. "You would have helped him even if he wasn't your father. You're just that kind of person." He swallowed the noodles quickly so he could give the other a cheeky smile as he pinched his cheek. "Everybody's guardian angel."  
  
Minseok had simply swatted Luhan's hand away, rolling his eyes affectionately as the younger giggled cheekily. He didn't reply though and instead they fell into a companionable silence, the only sound being the quiet voices from the television. Soon enough Luhan had finished his food and reluctantly rolled off of the sofa, pulling away from the other's side, and returned to the kitchen to clean up.  
  
"Are you staying over tonight?" He asked Minseok, already working on washing the dishes he had used. He hated doing the dishes, it being one of the household tasks he would rather get away with not doing. But since meeting Minseok he had learned that if he left any on the side for washing later then he would have to endure a long lecture about cleanliness and hygiene. He had heard that lecture so many times already and right then all Luhan wanted to do was finish up so he could sleep. He was exhausted.  
  
"If you want me to." Was Minseok's simple reply.  
  
Luhan immediately nodded, rinsing off the last piece of cutlery and draining the sink. "Please. I always sleep better when you stay over." He said, a soft whine in his voice again as he tried to dry the now clean cooking implements.  
  
"Then I'll stay over." The smaller nodded, giving Luhan another affectionate smile.  
  
With that knowledge in mind, Luhan quickly set about drying the dishes and returning them to their cupboard homes in his kitchen. The promise of snuggling and a good night's sleep was irresistible to him, and as soon as he was finished he pulled the other into the bedroom and threw the bed clothes that he always borrowed into his face. "Go change." He grinned, already playfully pushing Minseok towards the bathroom.  
  
Once he had succeeded, the other male obeying with an amused laugh, Luhan all but fell into his own bed clothes, depositing his dirty clothing into the wash basket, before he flopped, face first, onto his bed. If there was one thing he was proud of it was just how comfortable his bed was. He had saved up for a rather expensive one, but it provided so much comfort that it was definitely worth the money in his eyes.  
  
He shuffled over after a while, making enough space for Minseok who, once returned from the bathroom, immediately slid into the spot without hesitation. Luhan hummed happily to himself as he moved in closer to the other, snuggling up into his side. A smile spread over his lips as he felt his smaller yet stronger arms circling him and pulling him closer.  
  
They were both silent for a while, settling down and relaxing in the bed before Minseok's voice reached Luhan's ears. "I'm not, you know. A guardian angel."  
  
Lifting his eyes, Luhan let his gaze wander over the intricacies of Minseok face. His hair was mussed and falling over into his eyes, hiding his thick eyebrows. Luhan loved how the other's eyes could go from looking large and innocent to looking small and cheeky. The benefits of having single eyelids. His nose was small and always held a temptation to poke, which Luhan could never resist. The hint of cheek bones was somewhat enticing, but he liked how Minseok had cheeks that he could squeeze and poke whenever the urge hit him. Those were the reason why Minseok's mental file in his head was labelled 'Baozi' after all. And then there was his lips, they were thin but hidden behind them was perhaps one of the most beautiful smiles he had ever seen.  
  
Minseok was handsome. He was beautiful. He was breath-taking really.  
  
"You are to me." He eventually replied, his voice just as soft as he gave the other male a smile that was full of feeling. "You may not think so, but you are to me, Minnie."  
  
The look that Minseok was giving him made Luhan's heart start to thud harder in his chest, but he couldn't help but continue his words. It was about time he was completely honest with him. "I don't think I would have made it this far without you. I..." He started, pausing to take a breath before he locked eyes with Minseok's adorably surprised yet touched ones. "Meeting you was the best thing to ever happen to me."  
  
The room became silent, Luhan almost holding his breath. Okay so it wasn't a complete confession, but the meaning was there. And he knew that Minseok understood everything he was trying to say. Now all he could do was wait for the other to react, make the next move, do something so they could escape this awkward tension.  
  
He didn't really have to wait long though before Minseok gave him a tender smile, and lifted a hand to brush the backs of his fingers against his cheek in a rather intimate gesture. "I feel the same way about you."  
  
With a heart thudding loudly in his chest and butterflies running rampant in his stomach, Luhan gazed up at Minseok with hope and adoration shining in his eyes. "Minnie..."  
  
He didn't have the chance to say anything more before Minseok was leaning closer and Luhan felt the soft brush of his lips against his own. The kiss was timid, shy, unsure... but it made Luhan's heart sing with joy. He was soon smiling, sliding a hand around the other's neck to pull them closer together, kissing back with gusto.  
  
Kissing Minseok was something that, he had to admit, he had dreamed about a few times. But it was finally happening, and it was so much more than he had ever expected it to feel like. Luhan's entire body was tingling, moving on instinct, his senses being filled with everything that was Minseok. How his hair felt in between his fingers, his familiar scent, the quiet sounds of his breathing, the taste of Minseok's lips left on his, and when Luhan opened his eyes, the sight of the other with flushed cheeks but with a tender smile.  
  
They shared another softer kiss, a simple press of their lips that held so much feeling between them. But this time when Luhan pulled away he saw a glint of something in Minseok's eyes. He couldn't tell what it was but it was enough to confuse him slightly.  
  
"Luhan, I..." Minseok started, causing panic to suddenly flood through him. Had they moved too fast? Was them taking their 'friendship' to this level wrong? He had legitimate feelings for the other male. This was what he wanted. But did Minseok not want it too?  
  
He tried not to let his panic show though as he instead gave him a soft smile. "Yeah?"  
  
A beat of silence passed them before the expression on Minseok's face softened, the smile on his face turning affectionate. "I'm proud of you, you know. You're doing so well now."  
  
"Only because of you." Luhan said, a blush spreading across his cheeks as he lowered his gaze a little bashfully. He felt fingers under his chin though, and he was forced to meet Minseok's affectionate gaze once again.  
  
"Well, I'm not going anywhere."  
  
Luhan felt so much happiness and relief, that he couldn't stop himself from closing the distance and kissing Minseok once more. They had crossed a line with their relationship, moving from just friends to something more. It was risky, but he didn't regret it. He was positive that things could only get better for them now.  
  


**_~Second Chorus~_ **

  
Luhan wasn't one who enjoyed 'what-ifs' in his life. He liked to know things for definite. As bad as others saw labels, he himself often needed them to feel comfortable with living day to day. So the fact that his relationship with Minseok didn't have a definitive label, made him feel more than a little confused.  
  
They weren't officially together, that much was certain. They cared about each other, and loved each other (though it was too early for them to exchange the L word just yet). They couldn't imagine life without the other now. But they weren't officially in a romantic relationship.  
  
However they were more than friends. Friends didn't kiss and live in domestic bliss in the way that they did. Were they friends with benefits? That term always made Luhan wrinkle his nose in disgust. That didn't seem appropriate for what it was that they had. He couldn't describe it though, their relationship.  
  
Minseok didn't seem to be as affected by it as Luhan was. He continued on acting the same with Luhan as usual, but with a lot more kissing. He still practically lived at the taller's apartment, him being loathe to let Minseok leave and demanding frequent snuggling in bed or on the couch.  
  
They were still always together when their schedules allowed though. So although their relationship didn't exactly have a label right now, after them taking that risky step a few months ago, Luhan was still happy enough.  
  
"I still can't believe they pulled first place. I'm so proud of them." Luhan said, a wide beaming smile spread across his lips as the two of them walked down the street and towards the park. They weren't holding hands, like Luhan would have liked, but that was more because Minseok was a little wary of too much public displays of affection. And besides... there was no real need for Luhan to be shielded from ghosts right then.  
  
"They definitely did well." He said, his eyes shining in affection. "I couldn't see a move out of place."  
  
"That's because there wasn't." Luhan giggled, giving the other a playfully cocky smile. "I taught them after all."  
  
He was rewarded with Minseok's bright smile and loud laugh, and Luhan grinned to himself in triumph. He loved it when the other was so happy, it made everybody else around him feel warm and contented. So Luhan always tried to make him smile or laugh when he could.  
  
"Yeah, yeah, Mr Choreographer. Don't let your head get too big." Minseok laughed, deliberately bumping shoulders with Luhan and making him stumble.  
  
He was just about to make a playfully enraged outcry and tickle the other in payback when a tall young man brushed past them with a smaller male darting after him. The taller had medium-length hair that fell into his eyes, not that they could have seen them anyway with how he was walking with his head lowered. He was thin, looking a little like he was stretched out as he was yet to come into defined muscles. That meant he was still a teenager.  
  
His frantic companion was a lot smaller with a much paler complexion than the silently brooding male. His eyes, they could see, and they were wide and desperate, immediately alerting the two to something going on.  
  
"Chanyeol, please! You have to let me go!" The smaller begged. Glancing to his side Luhan locked eyes with Minseok and he knew that the other was thinking the exact same thing as him. The more frantic of the two was obviously a ghost. Considering the words he had just said, the fact that the other was seemingly ignoring him and how they didn't have any physical contact at all.  
  
There was something in the smaller's eyes, a desperation, that pulled at Luhan's heart. There was tears in his eyes that were a mixture of sadness and frustration. He kept raising his hands as if to grab the other male but he was never able to find purchase.  
  
Helping Yixing was something that he had done for selfish reasons at the start, but had ended up because Yixing was an amazing guy and warranted all the help he could get to finally get the peace he deserved. Looking at how desperately this new ghost was pleading with 'Chanyeol', it took Luhan only a moment to think about before deciding to at least find out what was going on.  
  
Nodding to Minseok, the two of them subtly turned and began to follow after the retreating male and his ghost friend. They made sure to keep enough distance so it didn't come across as suspicious but they were still close enough to hear what was going on.  
  
"Please, Chanyeol! You can't keep doing this." The ghost continued, a sob catching in his throat. "You have to let me go, please!"  
  
This continued on for the remainder of the street they were on plus another one before the tall male, Chanyeol, turned and slowly shuffled up the steps of a building. It was another apartment block, similar to Luhan's own but a little more shabby. The ghost stopped at the foot of the stairs, watching the other's back with a broken expression on his face. Once the door shut, he buried his face into his hands with another sob as he all but collapsed down to sit on the steps.  
  
They watched as the small ghost just sat, crying into his hands for a moment before a gentle nudge brought Luhan's attention back to Minseok. Looking back, his eyes met the smaller's and he nodded silently in answer to the other's unspoken question. They couldn't just leave him there like that. Not when they could do something to try to help him.  
  
Taking a breath, Luhan nodded to himself before he approached the quivering spectre. Once he was close enough, he called out softly. "Excuse me... Are you okay?"  
  
Immediately the ghost lifted his head up granting Luhan with the sight of two very red and puffy eyes, still full of tears, but wide with shock. He had somewhat dainty features, a straight nose, thinnish lips and a soft chin. His eyes, which were the biggest draw, were daintily lined with black.  
  
Luhan remained quiet, waiting for the figure to react. He could tell that he was confused and he saw all the questions passing through his eyes as he glanced between him and Minseok before realisation finally dawned on him. His facial expression turned desperate once again as he spoke.  
  
"Help me... Please..."  
  


\---

  
They had moved to the park, the same one where he and Minseok had spoken before, though now they weren't on the swings. This time they were in a more secluded and private part in a small gap that was surrounded by trees.  
  
Byun Baekhyun was the ghost's name, they had discovered. He was seventeen years old and had died around three months previous. That's all they knew so far though, the ghost looking around rather anxiously, wringing his hands together in his lap.  
  
"So, what do you need our help with?" Minseok asked, resting a hand gently on the still trembling spectre's shoulder.  
  
Baekhyun looked up, locking eyes with Luhan who gave him a warm encouraging smile, before he spoke. "It's Chanyeol."  
  
"Chanyeol?" Luhan asked, tilting his head to the side in question. "Is that the guy you were following before?"  
  
The ghost nodded, his shoulders drooping as he sighed. "Yeah. His name's Park Chanyeol. He's seventeen too. He's... He's my best friend." He explained, pausing to take a breath. "My death... he's still not taking it well. He's clinging on to me so hard that I can't even be apart from him at times."  
  
"That's understandable though. I mean you were best friends and now he's having to go on with his life without you. That can't be easy for him."  
  
Baekhyun hid his face in his hands for a moment as he sighed again. "I know, but... it's killing him." Raising his head, he locked eyes with Luhan again who couldn't help but just gaze at him in sympathy. "He's barely eating, barely sleeping... he's withering away before my eyes, and there's nothing I can do."  
  
Luhan watched, having to fight down a wave of jealousy, as Minseok put his arm around the small ghost's shoulders. He knew that the older didn't mean anything by it. He was only trying to give Baekhyun some support. But Luhan was missing his touch more than he wanted to admit. He just wanted to hold Minseok's hand, or lean his head against his shoulder, but he couldn't. If he did anything like that then Baekhyun would vanish from view and they still hadn't worked out what they were going to do.  
  
"That's why you asked for our help? To help Chanyeol move on from your death and start living again?" Luhan asked, focusing his attention on the task at hand, not the ugly jealousy that was boiling in his stomach.  
  
The spectre nodded once more, giving Luhan a small smile. "Yes please. I don't care if that helps me to move on or not. I just want to help him."  
  
"Okay." Minseok said, his voice slipping into a gentler tone indicating to Luhan that what he was about to say might not be so appealing to the ghost. "We're going to need some more information from you though, Baekhyun. We need to know why he's reacting so strongly about your death. There is more to it then you two just being best friends." He paused, clearly trying to word the question that they all knew had to be asked.  
  
Luhan decided to save him the trouble though. "How did you die?" He asked somewhat abruptly, not wanting to beat around the bush.  
  
Baekhyun looked up at him a little apprehensively, he clearly didn't want to talk about it but they needed to know if they were going to get anywhere with helping the two of them. "We can't help you or Chanyeol, if we don't know, Baekhyun." Minseok said, trying to encourage the young ghost into answering.  
  
"I-I..." He started, his voice shaky as he stuttered his words, his voice barely louder than a whisper. "I took my own life."  
  
The area they were in suddenly became completely silent, both Luhan and Minseok being rendered speechless by Baekhyun's confession. The young ghost had taken his own life before he had even had time to truly live. That... That was a little hard for Luhan to get his head around. Looking at Minseok, he saw the exact same shocked expression in his eyes that were mirrored in his own. How were they going to handle this?  
  
"I don't really want to talk about why just yet." Baekhyun continued, his voice quiet and subdued. "But I regret what I did. Every day I regret it more and more. I wish I could go back in time and change what I did. But I can't. I made the biggest mistake ever and now not only do I have to pay for it, but Chanyeol does too. That's unfair on him. I've hurt him by my actions. So the least I can do is help him, you know?"  
  
They both remained quiet, merely nodding their agreement. Luhan had to admit that had he been in Baekhyun's position, the only thing he would have wanted to do was to help Chanyeol too. In fact if he and Minseok were in the places of the other two... he would definitely be as desperate to help Minseok as Baekhyun was Chanyeol. So even if Minseok didn't want to... Luhan was going to help. No matter what.  
  
A wave of relief passed through Luhan, however, as Minseok began to speak. "So I guess the first thing we should do is try to talk to Chanyeol..." He said, his voice quiet and a little dull, clearly affected by the situation at hand. Luhan was too. This was a lot bigger than they had ever expected. "Think you can handle that, Lu?"  
  
He had known that it would be up to him to make contact with Baekhyun's best friend, but knowing what he did now... he wasn't sure how he was going to make it happen at all. And that was ignoring how it was making him feel inside. This was going to be incredibly tough, but Luhan wanted to do it. He took a breath and lifted his shoulders into a gentle shrug, his words quiet. "I guess we'll find out."  
  


\---

  
The first problem they found was that having such a large age gap in between Luhan and Chanyeol meant that trying to find an appropriate time to approach him was a lot more difficult than they had originally thought. He was still at school after all, and Luhan couldn't exactly go volunteer there. How creepy would that have been? 'Hi, I'm Luhan. I'm a new volunteer and I want to talk to you about your dead best friend, Baekhyun.' Yeah... that wasn't an option.  
  
Luhan couldn't exactly just randomly approach him either. That would make him look like a stalker and he really did not want to go to jail. But that left them all with a bit of a problem. Making contact with Chanyeol was near on impossible. Even silently following him to try and get some ideas of places he visited ended up with useless results.  
  
And all the while Baekhyun was getting more and more agitated demanding that they do more, that they try harder. Luhan may have ended up snapping at him telling him they were doing everything they could but it wasn't their fault that Chanyeol did nothing where they could approach him. Tempers had flared and more harsh words had been exchanged resulting in Minseok having to pull Luhan away and calm him down with kisses and cuddles. Oh how he wanted to kick that good for nothing ghost out of his apartment. But they had promised to help, so they would just have to keep trying.  
  
Luhan never broke his promises after all.  
  
After repeated bad results, they decided that they needed a break. Minseok wanted to go check on his father again, and Luhan refused to be left alone with Baekhyun. They were too similar in many ways and ended up butting heads more often than not. So to save themselves from a slanging match the two of them mutually agreed to give each other some space.  
  
That was how Luhan ended up making his way to one of his favourite music stores. He needed some more blank score paper, having used the last of his previous lot a month or so back. Not many people knew about his song-writing hobby, though seeing as the only person he really talked to was Minseok that wasn't surprising. The other male kept trying to persuade Luhan into performing one of his songs for him, but he refused each time. He hadn't sang in front of someone since the accident and even though he had defeated his stage fright with dancing, he was in no way ready to start singing again.  
  
He still wrote though, when the mood hit him, which was why he needed to stock up on his materials.  
  
Stepping into the store, he allowed a small smile to spread over his face as the bell tinkled quietly above the door. He loved this place. There was just something about it that made it almost feel like home. Maybe it was because everyone who went there were musicians in some way or another, so they could all relate to each other. Plus, there was rarely ever any ghosts too, which was definitely an added bonus.  
  
He immediately headed over to the back wall, finding the exact sheets he needed and deciding to buy a larger pack. The more sheets he had, the less likely he would run out and need to make another trip to pick some more up. He had just finished paying for said paper when a steady beat reached his ears. Someone was probably trying out one of the drum kits, that's what it sounded like anyway to him.  
  
Giving the sales assistant a cheerful wave, Luhan followed his ears and made his way over, bag of paper in hand, to the part of the store where they displayed a few instruments for trying out purposes. Whoever it was that was bashing it out on the drums clearly knew what they were doing. And Luhan was never one to turn down a chance to see a musician at work.  
  
He was thoroughly, and pleasantly, surprised to see that the mystery drummer was none other than Park Chanyeol. So the young lad did have some hobbies then. That certainly made things a lot easier now. Though Luhan still had to be careful. He couldn't rush this. Chanyeol was still a kid, really, who had recently gone through the traumatic experience of losing his best friend. He was going to have to step very carefully.  
  
Chanyeol continued to work the drums for a few more minutes before he finally hit the final beat and the small crowd that had formed around him burst into applause. The teenager though only gave them all the tiniest smile in thanks before he began to extract himself from the seat. This was the chance that Luhan needed and after a glance around he took a step closer.  
  
"You're good. You play often?" He asked, keeping his tone light and friendly.  
  
The other kept his head lowered, his shaggy hair continuing to hide his eyes as he shrugged softly in reply. "Not really. Haven't been able to but it feels okay now."  
  
Luhan hummed, nodding a little nonchalantly as if he didn't know exactly what the younger was talking about. "Were you injured or something?"  
  
"Something like that." Chanyeol responded, finally moving and lifting his head. Luhan was surprised when his eyes locked with those of the teenager. They were large and so very expressive. He wouldn't have been able to hide his emotions with eyes so open as those. Suddenly the older understood just why Chanyeol kept his face hidden so often. Right now Luhan was reading despair, hopelessness and longing. It was so incredibly heart breaking.  
  
He cleared his throat a little awkwardly before he gestured to the drums with his head. "Do you play anything else, or just the drums?" He wasn't sure why but music and instrument talk seemed like the best way to go about this. It seemed like something Chanyeol trusted, and he had already been granted the view of his face through their discussion so far. That was a good sign right?  
  
The other finally climbed to his feet and Luhan felt his confidence waver slightly. He hadn't realised just how tall Chanyeol was the first time he had seen him. The young male was almost towering over him, and for a brief moment Luhan really wished Minseok was there to stand next to him. The height difference between the two of them would have been incredibly amusing, to Luhan anyway.  
  
"I play a few instruments but the drums are my favourite." Chanyeol replied, looking down at Luhan but thankfully not making a move to leave just yet.  
  
"I bet it's a great stress reliever." Luhan chuckled, smiling up warmly at the younger male. "I play piano myself. Not that I'm that great at it but I know enough to be able to write songs at least."  
  
There was a look of surprise in Chanyeol's eyes that momentarily clouded over the other more melancholic expressions that had resided in them before. "You write?" He asked, a hint of curiosity in his voice. Luhan nodded his head gently in reply, tilting his head in question at the sudden thoughtful pout on the other's lips. "This may sound like an odd request but... could you read something over for me? I've been working on a song but I'm not sure if it's any good yet."  
  
Oh... well this was new. Chanyeol had just given him the perfect excuse to spend more time with him. Yeah he would be helping the younger with one of his songs but maybe it could eventually lead to discussions about Baekhyun. And that was the whole reason Luhan needed to talk to the teenager in the first place.  
  
"Sure! I can do that, no problem." He agreed, smiling warmly up at the taller once more. He watched as a small wave of relief passed over Chanyeol that was quickly followed up by a sheepish expression. For a moment Luhan got a glimpse of the happy playful guy that the taller had been before, what he was meant to be like, and right then Luhan knew that helping the two of them would be worth it.  
  
A somewhat large hand was offered to him that Luhan didn't hesitate to take as Chanyeol finally introduced himself. "I'm Chanyeol, by the way. It's nice to meet you."  
  
"It's nice to meet you too, Chanyeol. I'm Luhan."  
  


\---

  
It was a few days before Luhan met up with Chanyeol again, the younger having classes to attend that he couldn't get away with ditching any more. Not that Luhan minded having to wait, it gave him the chance to talk to Minseok about it. He would have spoken to Baekhyun as well but the ghost was no where to be found when they had agreed to meet up. They both just assumed that he was with Chanyeol.  
  
Their assumptions were proven correct when Luhan went to meet the tall youth at a local coffee shop. As he approached the doors he came face to face with Baekhyun who was looking at him in a rather annoyed manner.  
  
"What are you doing?" He asked, suspicion pouring off of him.  
  
Glancing through the window, Luhan spotted Chanyeol sat at a table, head bent over as he jotted down on some paper. He was clearly waiting for him. "I'm here to help your friend, what does it look like?"  
  
"You know what I mean." Baekhyun growled at him. If he was trying to be intimidating, he was doing a very bad job in Luhan's opinion. He looked more like a disgruntled puppy than anything else. Not very threatening at all.  
  
Sighing, he looked at the ghost plainly as he explained. "Baekhyun... We need him to trust us. We can't help him if he doesn't trust us. So first I'm going to help him with his music."  
  
"He doesn't need help with his music. He's the best musician I know!"  
  
A beat of silence passed between them where Luhan merely raised an eyebrow at Baekhyun's outburst while the ghost proceeded to turn a rosy shade of pink. It was somewhat amusing watching him become more and more flustered, his mouth beginning to open and close like a fish. Eventually the spectre managed to find his voice again even if it was rather shrill. "Shut up!"  
  
Even though he hadn't actually said anything, Luhan lifted his hands in surrender, chuckling in amusement. "Okay, okay. Can I go in now? He's waiting."  
  
"Fine." Baekhyun said, his voice still stuck in the higher pitch. He cleared his throat though before continuing. "But I'm watching you."  
  
Luhan was far from scared or intimidated. He was finding it hard not to just burst out in laughter at the other's act. He could tell that Baekhyun was just being overly protective of his best friend, and he couldn't blame him for that. But really... Luhan was of no threat to either of them.  
  
He walked past the glaring ghost, resisting the urge to reach out and ruffle his hair, and entered the coffee shop. He immediately headed over to the table where Chanyeol was sat and after dropping his backpack onto the floor he took a seat in the chair opposite.  
  
"Hey, sorry I'm late. Got caught by someone I know who wanted a quick chat. Have you been waiting long?" He asked.  
  
Chanyeol looked up giving him a small smile before he shrugged. "Not really. I've just been working on the song while I waited."  
  
"How's it coming along?"  
  
The teenager's shoulders seemed to droop again as he let out another sigh. "It's not. It starts off well but... I lose it around half way through and I can't get it to work."  
  
Luhan hummed slightly, nodding in understanding with slightly pursed lips. "Okay, well let me go grab a drink and then I'll take a look for you. Did you want anything?"  
  
"Just water please."  
  
Pushing himself to his feet, the older gave Chanyeol another warm smile as he nodded. "Coming right up."  
  
Thankfully the queue wasn't too long so it was only a few minutes before Luhan returned with a mug of coffee and a bottle of water in his hands. He wasn't surprised to see that Baekhyun was now sat in the empty seat next to Chanyeol. With how they were apparently tethered together that day, he knew that it wouldn't be long before Baekhyun would cave and join them, no matter how awkward it must be for him.  
  
"Here we go." Luhan hummed, placing the drinks down before reclaiming his seat. He took a minute to settle, taking a sip of his coffee which tasted a little like heaven to him in that moment, before he gave the young male another warm smile. "Want me to look over it now?"  
  
"Please." Chanyeol nodded, immediately sliding the sheets across the table which Luhan picked up with gentle fingers.  
  
Turning it round, he let his eyes scan over the notes first. It had a nice melody though definitely on the melancholic ballad side. Some of the transitions looked to be very impactful, and it definitely started off well. The lyrics matched the notes, being related to heart break, someone leaving and someone being left behind.  
  
There was no mistaking it really. This song was clearly written about Baekhyun.  
  
He saw what Chanyeol meant though when he said that it lost it half way through. It did seem to be lacking something, but what that was even Luhan wasn't sure. This was going to take longer than a single session to work out.  
  
"I see what you mean. It definitely starts off well but the ending doesn't seem right... It's good but it has the potential to be great." Luhan said, continuing to scan his eyes over the notes on the page. He knew without even looking that Baekhyun was glaring at him. But he was surprisingly easy to ignore.  
  
"I'm writing it for someone so it has to be perfect." Chanyeol said, his voice dropping in volume slightly yet still loud enough for Luhan to hear. "So can you help?"  
  
Luhan smiled, finally laying the papers down onto the table again as he nodded softly. "Yeah, though it might take some time. You don't have a deadline for this do you?"  
  
"No. It's a personal project." The other replied, shaking his head gently.  
  
"Okay. Then we'll take as long as we need to to make this song perfect." Luhan said, smiling confidently as he gently tapped the sheet music.  
  
The tall youth gave him a grateful smile, his eyes lighting up but only for a moment. "Thank you."  
  
Glancing at Baekhyun again, Luhan noticed how he had dropped his head and was playing with his fingers in his lap. Was he finally beginning to realise that Luhan wasn't a bad guy and was really just trying to help? He hoped so. "You're welcome." He replied before picking up the sheet music again and humming out the tune quietly to himself.  
  
It really was a good piece of writing but it didn't seem to go anywhere. And the lyrics, though beautiful, were so sad that he knew that anyone who listened to it would come away feeling incredibly sad and heavy with emotion.  
  
"I think the problem is that the song is just so emotional that it's almost too strong. Like... it's almost too much to handle and I don't think you really want to give anyone who listens to it an emotional breakdown." Luhan said, running his fingers across a specific bar. "It's, in a way, overwhelming with how deep it is, and right now it ends on a hopeless point."  
  
Looking up again he noticed that the usual sadness in Chanyeol's eyes once more. "I tend to write what I feel so that might be why."  
  
Luhan could understand that, he was the same when he wrote, using his feelings and emotions as inspiration. He nodded softly, taking another sip of coffee before he spoke. "That definitely comes across in this song. The lyrics though... personal experience?" He kept his tone soft and unobtrusive, allowing the younger to reply as vaguely as he wanted to. He couldn't force Chanyeol into talking about what happened. He would have to volunteer the information on his own, only then could they make any attempt to help.  
  
"Yeah." Chanyeol answered after a quiet moment, his fingers playing with the lid on his water bottle. "Someone I knew... he died not long ago."  
  
Baekhyun was looking at Chanyeol a little in shock. In their previous discussions the ghost had admitted that his best friend found it hard to even mention what happened. So for him to be opening up about it, even this amount, was surprising, not only to Baekhyun but to Luhan too. It was also a big relief.  
  
"I'm sorry." He said simply, giving the other a sympathetic smile.  
  
"It's okay." Chanyeol replied, before shaking his head as a somewhat bitter smile appeared on his lips. "Well, it's not, but you know what I mean."  
  
Luhan nodded gently again, tilting his head in an inquisitive manner. "Was it someone important to you?"  
  
Another moment of silence passed over them and Luhan almost spoke up to retract his words when Chanyeol answered, his voice quiet. "My best friend."  
  
"That explains the parts where you talk about someone leaving and you being left behind." Luhan said, giving the teenager another small smile.  
  
This encouraged a small chuckle from the younger as Chanyeol nodded. "Yeah. We were a team. Baekhyun and Chanyeol. Chanyeol and Baekhyun. We did everything together. And then... he left. He left me behind and I... I don't know how to handle it. I don't know how to be me without him. I don't know how to be just Chanyeol."  
  
"That's understandable. You were really close and now you have to go on without him. That's bound to be hard for you." Luhan said, nodding softly.  
  
"Yeah." The taller said, sighing once more. Baekhyun was still sat next to him, blinking at him in amazement. "I thought maybe if I could fix the song... then I could fix myself? I thought it might help."  
  
"It will." Luhan said, nodding softly. It seemed like Chanyeol was already on the way to getting himself through this, all they needed to do for him now was help him. "I know it will."

"They tried to get me to see a therapist, a counsellor..." Chanyeol said, his voice soft and almost distracted as he twiddled a pencil in his fingers.  
  
Luhan looked up from where he had been making notes on the sheet music. They were at the coffee shop again, it becoming their usual meeting place to work on the song together, for now anyway. Once they would need to actually work on it on an instrument then they would move to one of their apartments, but for now the coffee shop was more than adequate for their needs.  
  
They hadn't managed to improve it much since their initial meeting, but they had managed to pinpoint the area where it needed to be altered. Now they were coming up with ideas of how to alter the lyrics so they weren't so heavy.  
  
"Yeah?" He asked, knowing that Chanyeol was wanting a verbal response to his statement before he would continue.  
  
"Yeah. They wanted me to talk about what happened... with Baekhyun." The teenager said before a loud snort left his nose. "I refused. How can someone who doesn't even know anything about me or Baekhyun, who doesn't know what we've been through... how can anything they say make any difference?"  
  
Luhan remained quiet, just letting the young male talk.  
  
"I didn't want some doctor giving me some clinical analysis on what my problem is." Chanyeol said, shaking his head. "It's obvious what's wrong. I don't need some shrink to tell me. I can't talk about it, that's what it comes down to. I find it so hard to talk about him and what he did. And I don't know why."  
  
Placing his own pencil down, Luhan took an idle sip of his water as he listened. He tilted his head to one side as he looked at the taller. "You're talking about it more now though."  
  
"That's only because it's for the song. Music is something that I've always known, that I've always trusted. And talking about Baekhyun and what happened... it's easier right now because it's helping the song, not me."  
  
The explanation was a little confusing but Luhan got what the younger was trying to say. He thought so anyway. But he couldn't help but give the other a small amused smile. "But by helping the song you are helping yourself."  
  
A sheepish smile greeted his sight accompanied by a small laugh as Chanyeol shook his head. "I know but... it doesn't feel like it." He dropped his gaze to the table top, though the sheepish smile was still on his lips. "It's complicated, I know."  
  
"Whatever works." Luhan said, chuckling softly.  
  
A companionable silence fell over them again, Chanyeol lost in his thoughts and Luhan returning to jotting down more notes on the sheet music. Even with the background chatter of the coffee shop around them, it was peaceful and it allowed them to relax. Luhan worked on music best when he was relaxed.  
  
After a while the younger spoke up again, drawing back Luhan's attention from the sheet music. "I hope that me talking to you about this and about what happened isn't too awkward for you or anything."  
  
"It's not. I promise." Luhan said, shaking his head softly as he gave the other a reassuring smile. "I'm just glad that I can help you in any way that I can. Even if it is by helping you with your music and listening to you when you need to talk."  
  
Chanyeol gave him a rare happy smile, though it was tinged with warmth and gratitude. "Thank you, Hyung."  
  
Hyung... with that one name Luhan knew that Chanyeol had grown to trust him. He felt comfortable enough to speak to him on a more friendly level compared to the somewhat formal aura they had had when initially speaking. That was definitely a good result.  
  
And if he was being honest... Luhan quite liked being called Hyung.  
  


\---

  
Throughout all of his time spent working on the song with Chanyeol, Luhan found himself missing Minseok more and more. He really didn't like being apart from him so often, but Minseok was busy looking after his father. So even if Luhan hadn't been helping out the teenager they still wouldn't have been able to spend time together.  
  
That was why in the rare occasions they could be together, Luhan practically clung to Minseok, almost afraid to let go of him. He would bury his nose into his neck, curling up against him and just breathing in his reassuring scent.  
  
"Are you okay?" Minseok asked him on one of these occasions. They were curled up on the couch in Luhan's apartment, spending a rare free afternoon with each other. So of course Luhan was taking full advantage and had turned into a temporary koala.  
  
"I'm fine." He replied, nodding into the smaller's neck. "I just miss you."  
  
He felt the other's arm pull him closer from where it was wrapped around his waist. "I'm sorry." Minseok apologised. "I would spend more time with you if I could. I miss you too."  
  
"I know. And it's not like I'm not busy myself. So don't worry about it, okay?" Luhan replied, lifting his head for a moment to give the other a tender smile. He leant forward gently pecking the smaller's lips before he spoke again, tilting his head in question. "How is your Dad?"  
  
The expression on the other's face dropped slightly as sadness and worry flooded his eyes. "They want him to stay in the hospital now, where they can monitor his condition better."  
  
"He's gotten that worse?"  
  
"Yeah. He's a fighter though, so we probably don't have to worry about him too much, for a while at least." Minseok said, giving a somewhat affectionate chuckle. "How's Chanyeol?"  
  
Resting his cheek on his shoulder, Luhan hummed softly as he snuggled in closer to the other. "He's doing really well actually. I mean the song is still a mess but... He's opening up more and more each session. Talking about how he's feeling, about how Baekhyun's death affected him... He hasn't told me exactly what happened yet but... I think he's preparing himself to. It's kind of surprising to be honest."  
  
"He does seem to be a lot more ready to move on with his life than what Baekhyun led us to believe."  
  
Luhan pursed his lips slightly in thought before he sighed. "To be honest... I don't think that Chanyeol's the one having a problem with letting Baekhyun go. I think it's more Baekhyun being unwilling to let Chanyeol go."  
  
"That could prove problematic."  
  
"Yeah." Luhan sighed again, snuggling up closer once more. "I think we just need to continue talking to both of them, find out the full story and work out why Baekhyun is holding on to Chanyeol so tightly."  
  
"Sounds like a plan."  
  


\---

  
The apartment that Chanyeol lived in had a very similar layout to the one Luhan called home, though the rooms were a lot smaller. When Luhan had turned up, to help work with the younger on his song, he had had to wait a few moments for Chanyeol to hurriedly clear up the bedding he used from the sofa.  
  
"My parents have the room and I sleep out here." He had explained, his arms full of duvet and pillows which he quickly stored away in a cupboard.  
  
Luhan had simply nodded choosing not to comment and instead waited for the younger to set up the keyboard and pull out the acoustic guitar from his parents' bedroom. Once that was done, they settled on the sofa, sheet music in hand so they could continue working on the song.  
  
"Okay, so I think what we need to do is alter the melody so it moves from sad and melancholic to something more hopeful and uplifting. And combined with lyrics to match, I think that will be what the song needs to become perfect." Luhan said, his fingers moving across the notes he had made on the sheet music.  
  
Chanyeol nodded softly in agreement, his lips pursing into a thoughtful pout. "Sounds good. But... how are we going to go about this?"  
  
"Let's just have a play about and see what we can come up with."  
  
And so the two of them took to the instruments, playing out the song as it was before pausing and making adjustments. A few of the phrases they came up with sounded promising but nothing really stood out. And after an hour or so, the two of them decided to take a break to rest their fingers and to try and refresh their minds.  
  
Baekhyun had joined them at some point and was lurking around silently behind Chanyeol as he went about preparing the two of them some tea. Luhan had given him a questioning look but the ghost had merely ignored him, focusing on the taller's back deliberately.  
  
Why Baekhyun had a problem with him, Luhan did not know. But he wasn't about to let the presence of the spectre put him off from helping Chanyeol with the song.  
  
He took the cup of tea from the teenager, taking a sip and humming appreciatively for a moment. "This is really good."  
  
"Thanks." Chanyeol replied, smiling a little sheepishly. "Baekhyun taught me actually."  
  
"Really?" Luhan asked, his eyes briefly glancing over to the ghost who had turned a soft shade of pink.  
  
The teenager nodded, taking a sip from his own cup of tea. "Yeah. His grandmother taught him and then when he found out I didn't know how to make tea he taught me. 'You need to know this, Chanyeol, otherwise you can't be my friend' is what he said to me. Personally I think he just wanted somebody else to know how to make tea the way he liked it so he wouldn't have to make it every time."  
  
Luhan chuckled softly, shaking his head in amusement. "Well, there is no harm in knowing how to make a good cup of tea."  
  
"He said that too." Chanyeol admitted, completely oblivious to the embarrassed ghost that was next to him. "You remind me a lot of him actually."  
  
"Really?"  
  
"Yeah. You've got the same kind of personality. Maybe that's why I find you so easy to talk to. You're like an older version of him."  
  
Baekhyun was deliberately avoiding his gaze again, his head dropped and his hands clenched in his lap. Chanyeol's words though did have a ring of truth to them. Even Luhan had noticed that he and Baekhyun were a lot more alike than they would have wanted to admit. "Maybe." He replied, a small amused smile dancing around his lips.  
  
"This may sound like a weird question but... I don't suppose you have a friend who's like me, do you?" Chanyeol asked, his expression one of innocent curiosity.  
  
Thinking about it Luhan couldn't help but smile somewhat nostalgically as he thought back to his life in China. One friend in particular sprang to mind, the one he had been in the accident with, and he soon found himself nodding in answer. "I did actually. His name's Ling, though I haven't spoken to him in a long time."  
  
The young teenager tilted his head in question. "How come?"  
  
The real answer was that after the accident Ling hadn't been able to deal with the repercussions. Guilt had eaten away at him and he had pulled away just when Luhan had needed him the most. He couldn't tell Chanyeol that though so instead he shrugged softly. "We just grew apart."  
  
"That's a shame." The teenager said, giving Luhan a sympathetic smile, and for a moment Luhan was hit with the amusing thought that suddenly Chanyeol was the one soothing him and not the other way around, how it was supposed to be. The younger continued to speak though before he could make a verbal comment on it. "That wouldn't have happened to me and Baekhyun though. We were too close. We would have been together for... well... for forever."  
  
Luhan nodded his head gently, his expression soft as he let Chanyeol talk. "I'm sure you would have been."  
  
"We had planned on it so..." He said, his words drifting off for a moment before he exhaled in a soft sigh. "Sometimes... Sometimes I wish he just would have talked to me. Maybe I could have helped."  
  
A curious frown spread across Luhan's face as his eyebrows furrowed. What did Chanyeol mean? He assumed it had something to do with why Baekhyun took his own life, but since that was still a mystery to him, Luhan couldn't be sure. The ghost himself was looking incredibly uncomfortable, his eyes full of guilt as he stared intensely at Chanyeol. He probably didn't want his friend to continue talking but Luhan knew that it would do them all some good if he did just that.  
  
"What do you mean?" He asked, mentally willing the younger to continue.  
  
"Baekhyun was... he was bullied. We both were. Only I could handle it better than he could."  
  
Nodding softly, Luhan couldn't help but ask the younger for more information. "Why were you bullied?"  
  
Chanyeol let out a snort before he smiled somewhat bitterly. "Look at me. I'm tall, gangly, incredibly ungraceful and clumsy, I have huge ears and I look like a maniac when I smile. Perfect bullying fodder. And what they liked even more was that I just let them do it, I didn't fight back or anything. When Baekhyun found out... he wasn't happy. He never left my side then and when the bullies tried to target me again, he stood up for me."  
  
"So you were bullied first?"  
  
"Yeah." The tall youth sighed, nodding his head gently in emphasis. "They only started bullying Baekhyun because of me. They liked that he fought them back and they took that as a challenge."  
  
"No." A voice popped up from next to them, reminding Luhan that Baekhyun was still there, listening to every single word they were saying. "That wasn't why they bullied me, Chanyeol."  
  
The teenager didn't hear the ghost though, completely unaware of his very existence, and he continued on with his explanation. "It got worse for him though. They started accusing him of something and bullying him because of it. I never knew if it was true or not, because... he never said anything to me. I don't know if he thought that I wouldn't understand, that I wouldn't be accepting of him or what... but he should have known that no matter what... he was my best friend, and nothing was ever going to change that."  
  
Listening to the younger's words and watching how the ghost's expression morphed with every piece of information that was revealed, Luhan began to piece together his own suspicions. And if he was right... it would certainly explain a lot about why Baekhyun had taken his own life. "He was gay wasn't he?" He asked, his voice quiet.  
  
He didn't even need Chanyeol to reply, for the ghost had raised his head quickly, an expression of horror and mortification growing on his face coupled with the steadily deepening blush was more than answer enough. The taller though gave the final confirmation with a small nod of his head. "Yeah. That's what they were bullying him for anyway. Like I said, he never said anything to me about it. And I didn't know for definite until... until I read his goodbye letter."  
  
"Goodbye letter? Do you mean..." Luhan said, his words trailing off. Of course he already knew what Baekhyun had done, the ghost having told him and Minseok when they had first met. But to have Chanyeol talking about it from his point of view... suddenly Luhan felt as if his heart was constricted, a lump beginning to form in his throat.  
  
"He... Baekhyun, he... he took his own life." Chanyeol said, the room around them suddenly becoming devoid of any other sound. "He couldn't handle it any more. The bullying was too much for him. And even though I was right there next to him, he said he felt completely alone. He just wanted it to end and he didn't see any other option for himself."  
  
His heart was completely breaking now. Seeing the pain and hurt in Chanyeol's expression and hearing it in his voice... it was almost too much for Luhan to handle. "I'm so sorry." He whispered, unable to bring his voice any louder.  
  
"He wasn't alone though." Chanyeol went on, his own voice becoming tight with emotions that were clearly swimming in his eyes. "If he had just come and talked to me he would have realised that he was never alone."  
  
A sob resounded from next to them, followed by a whimper. "Chanyeol..."  
  
It was all becoming so much clearer, and Baekhyun's devastation was not unfounded. "You were going through the exact same as him, weren't you? You understood exactly how he felt..."  
  
The younger nodded, causing another sob to echo from next to them. "Yeah." He admitted, an almost defeated look passing over his eyes. "I mean... I'm not gay. I like both guys and girls, but I still understand how he feels... I understand the confusion and the self loathing and the... longing. But I never got the chance to tell him. And I didn't know about him until it was too late."  
  
"Chanyeol..." Luhan started. He didn't know what he wanted to say, but he just wanted to show the younger comfort and support that he clearly so desperately needed.  
  
It was almost like the teenager didn't hear him though for he continued speaking, his eyes glazing over as he just talked. He had obviously kept everything hidden, so pent up and held in that now that he was opening up and talking about it it was all flooding out. "And now he's gone and I'm left behind to try and pick up the pieces. But it's so hard. It's so hard when I still don't even understand myself, and now I have to deal with him not being here as well and I just... It's a lot harder than what people think it is.  
  
"They say that I'm young and that I'll bounce back from this quickly. But it's not as simple as that. He was the most important person in my life and now he's not here. And I hate that. I hate that he's not here. I hate that I'm having to deal with this all on my own. I hate that I'm having to go through this. But I don't hate him. I could never hate him."  
  
This was apparently too much for Baekhyun who, after letting out another loud sob, had stood and fled from the apartment, tears streaming down his face. Luhan's heart broke for him. To find out something so important about his best friend when it was way too late... to find out that if he had only spoken to the taller then they would have been okay, that they would have been able to work through it... That was enough to distress a grown adult let alone a confused teenager.  
  
At least everything was making a lot more sense now. What had previously been unspoken was now out in the air and the whole situation was incredibly clear to Luhan. Chanyeol opening up in this way was the trigger that they needed to finally solve the problem. And as heart breaking as this was for everyone... he was confident that the end was now in sight.  
  


\---

  
Baekhyun had disappeared. Since Luhan's conversation with Chanyeol where the taller had finally talked about everything that had happened, the ghost had gone missing. Or more likely he was avoiding them. They knew he was still around, but it had taken them a few days to finally track him down.  
  
He looked a mess. His hair was dishevelled. His eyes were bloodshot and ringed with red from the vast amount he had obviously been crying. His skin was pale... Byun Baekhyun had broken down.  
  
Even now, after they had managed to persuade him into talking at Luhan's apartment, he still looked almost ill. He kept worrying his bottom lip, causing it to look red and sore. He wrung his hands in his lap, and he looked about ready to burst into tears again at any moment. It was sad to see how much knowing the truth affected him.  
  
And Luhan really wished that, for once, the ghost was actually alive so he could give him a cup of tea or comfort him better somehow. But all he could do was put an arm around him and talk with him calmly.  
  
Minseok, fully aware of everything after Luhan had relayed the events to him about Baekhyun and Chanyeol, was sat on the ghost's other side. It was almost like they were shielding him with their bodies, in the way that parents do with their children. And Baekhyun sat there, sniffling in between them as he tried to pull himself together.  
  
Eventually he took a breath though before finally speaking. "I'm such an idiot. I'm such a selfish stupid idiot."  
  
"You didn't know, Baekhyun." Minseok said, his hand gently rubbing the spectre's back in a soothing manner.  
  
"I should have done, though! Like Chanyeol said, I should have talked to him. I knew something was bothering him, but I never thought to even ask him. I was too wrapped up in my own selfish problems." Baekhyun said, his voice rising slightly as tears sprang to his already red eyes. "I didn't even think of him when I made my decision. I just acted. I left him alone when he needed me the most... How can he forgive me for that?"  
  
Luhan sighed softly, gently taking one of the spectre's trembling hands into his own and squeezing it softly. "You heard what Chanyeol said, Baekhyun, he doesn't hate you."  
  
"But he should! I hate myself for what I did, especially to him. So he should hate me too."  
  
"But he doesn't." Luhan said, his voice becoming firmer. "And he never will. He said so himself."  
  
"Then he's an idiot too." The ghost's voice had dropped to a whisper, and his words caused a frown to spread over Minseok's face, an expression that Luhan knew was mirrored on his own face. The smaller was about to speak up when the shivering spirit in between them let out a whimpered sob. "But he's the best idiot I've ever known. And I really wish I could go back in time or something. Change what I did. Be alive by his side. I wish I had just... talked to him."  
  
Luhan caught Minseok's eyes and they shared a soft smile. It was clear how much the two friends meant to each other, and Baekhyun was now tormenting himself with guilt over what he had done. Chanyeol had told Luhan, the ghost overhearing everything, that he didn't hate his best friend, but the ghost didn't seem to properly realise what that meant. He had been forgiven, but he obviously needed to hear those words from Chanyeol himself before he would believe them.  
  
Some ghosts were annoyingly stubborn, and Baekhyun was no exception.  
  
Luhan had to agree with him though... he really was an idiot.  
  


\---

  
The park was quiet when Luhan, Baekhyun and Chanyeol arrived, immediately heading over towards some very familiar swings, to Luhan anyway. Minseok had a busy schedule again so was unable to be there, but Luhan had assured him that he could handle this by himself. If everything went as planned... he would be leaving with some very good results.  
  
Taking a seat on one of the swings, he immediately took the offered sheet music from the teenager, letting his eyes run over the written notes. The song was definitely looking a lot better now that they had gotten over the initial hurdle. It still needed work though, which was why they were there. To continue working on the song and for Chanyeol to talk it out some more, allowing Baekhyun to hear everything that he needed to hear.  
  
"You were right Chanyeol. Talking about it is definitely helping the song." Luhan said, lifting his head from the paper to give the younger a warm smile.  
  
"I thought it would. Though I don't think I would have been able to talk about it if it wasn't for you. You're just so easy to talk to." He said, smiling somewhat sheepishly as he awkwardly scratched at the back of his neck.  
  
"Well I'm glad that I can help." Luhan replied, saying those words not for the first time. He let his eyes scan the sheet music one more time before he handed it back to the younger. "Are you up to talking some more? Sorry I had to cut it short last time."  
  
"It's okay." Chanyeol started, shaking his head. "It was probably better to stop when we did. Gave me a chance to just... let out some emotion. I definitely felt better afterwards. So... yeah, I'm up to talking about it some more now."  
  
Baekhyun was looking incredibly uncomfortable in front of them, just stood shuffling on the spot. It took a pointed look from Luhan before he sat down. He had had to get the ghost to promise not to run off and to just listen to everything that Chanyeol would say. And after a while Baekhyun had finally agreed. He needed to hear this. Luhan would have even sat on him or something to keep him there if he needed to. Thankfully just making the ghost promise was more than enough.  
  
"Great." Luhan smiled, curling his fingers around the chains of the swing he was sat on. He was hit with a wave of awkwardness, unsure of how to go about this. The last time the conversation had just naturally progressed to Baekhyun and what had happened to him. But now they were just going straight into it, and because of that he felt like he was floundering for a moment. "So, um... How are you handling it now?" He asked, eventually managing to piece together a somewhat bumbling question.  
  
Chanyeol, luckily, gave the older a smile, nodding his head gently as he began to speak, allowing Luhan to relax. Maybe he wasn't being as ungraceful as he felt with his words. "Better. A lot better. When it first happened, it hit me hard. And even though it still is hard... I accept it now."  
  
"Accept what he did?" Luhan asked, wanting to make sure that he understood completely, and that Baekhyun couldn't misinterpret anything the taller said.  
  
"Yeah. I accept it now. I mean... I can't blame him for choosing to do what he did. I very nearly did the same myself before." He admitted, his gaze dropping to his lap. "Long before Baekhyun did. When I was first trying to come to terms with my sexuality, I was so confused. I felt like I was wrong or something. How could I be attracted to guys as well as girls. That was wrong right? And then coupled with the bullying and everything else that was going on... It all felt a little too much."  
  
In a way Luhan didn't find that admission from the other surprising. He knew what it felt like to feel incredibly lost and confused, to feel unable to handle everything the world was throwing at you. And since Baekhyun had obviously gone ahead with removing himself from the living world, it wasn't surprising that Chanyeol had considered doing the same in the past. "But you didn't do it."  
  
"No." Chanyeol said, a small smile on his face as he shook his head. "I didn't. Because of Baekhyun. Even though he didn't know exactly what I was going through, he stood by my side and gave me the strength I needed to pull through it. He's always been my strength."  
  
Luhan had to glance over to check on the ghost, to make sure that Baekhyun hadn't broken his promise and run away. He was still there though. Looking like he could burst into tears again at any moment, with guilt pouring off of him, but he was still there. "I'm sure you were his strength too, Chanyeol."  
  
The taller shook his head, his smile turning sad as he sighed. "I wasn't enough though. I hope he can forgive me for that."  
  
"There's nothing to forgive, you idiot." Baekhyun said, his voice thick with emotion and barely audible even to Luhan's ear. "I'm the one who made the mistake."  
  
"Do you forgive him?" Luhan asked, tilting his head to the side in question.  
  
"For what? For what he did?" Chanyeol blinked, receiving a nod in confirmation from Luhan before continuing to speak. "Of course I do. I was angry at the start, yeah, but... I've accepted it, for a while now. Of course I forgive him. He's my best friend, and he always will be."  
  
"Chanyeol..." The ghost sniffled, the other's name sounding a cross between a whine and a sob. "I'm sorry."  
  
Luhan smiled warmly, nodding his head gently in agreement. "Friendships and relationships like that never die. He'll always be a part of you." He knew that no matter what happened with himself and Minseok, the other would always be an important part of his life. He would have him in his heart forever. And he knew that Chanyeol would always keep Baekhyun in his heart too.  
  
"Yeah." The other nodded, an almost nostalgic smile on his face. "Even though he's not here any more... He's still giving me strength. And I'm going to use that strength to continue on with my life. I'm going to show that it's okay to be who you are. It's okay to like who you like, and love who you love, regardless of gender. That it doesn't make you any less of a person. It's okay to be yourself, and nothing that anybody else says in an attempt to bring you down and degrade you is worth anything. Because your life is worth way more than their stupid opinions. And I'm doing it all for him, in his memory. Because Baekhyun is worth it. And he will always be a part of me."  
  
The spectre was gazing at Chanyeol in awe, affection shining in his tear-filled eyes. "Chanyeol... You are the most amazing person I've ever met. And I'm so lucky to have had you in my life. Thank you."  
  
"I'm sure he would have really liked that." Luhan said, nodding his head softly as a proud smile spread over his lips. He was proud of these two. They were young and they had been through so much, yet they were still themselves. And Chanyeol had such a good head on his shoulders. He was someone that everybody should look up to as a role model. He had the right mentality and Luhan felt proud to have even met him. "He would have been proud of you. I know I am."  
  
The taller gave Luhan a sheepish yet happy smile, and though he too had tears in his eyes it was clear to see and feel the hope that was radiating off of him. "Thank you. I hope you're right. And I hope that once I've lived my life and my time finally comes that I'll be reunited with him." Chanyeol nodded softly, the smile still on his face as he slowly raised his face towards the sky. "Please wait for me, Baekhyun. And I'll wait for you. I can't wait to see you again."  
  
"I will, I promise." The ghost said, his previously unshed tears slowly sliding down his cheeks, though a bright almost blinding smile was on his face. "I look forward to it. Just don't rush it, okay? Live long and proudly, like I couldn't. I'll be waiting."  
  


**_~Second Bridge~_ **

  
That day they had left the park as only two living beings. Baekhyun, after promising to wait for his best friend had slowly faded away. His fears had been soothed, he had been forgiven and now it was his time to move on with his afterlife and wait for Chanyeol, just like he had promised.  
  
It had been sad to watch him go, but Luhan also felt proud. He had handled this one mostly by himself. Something he never would have even thought about doing months ago. But with Minseok by his side, giving him often silent support, he had grown stronger. He was beginning to work through his fears and get over them. Ghosts didn't scare him any more. Not really. He still felt anxious around them occasionally, but that initial crippling fear was long gone.  
  
Minseok was what had been missing in his life before. And he was so glad to have met him when he did.  
  
After Baekhyun had moved on, it hadn't taken Luhan and Chanyeol long to finally finish the song. Something that the younger was incredibly proud of, and so he should be in Luhan's opinion. It sounded really good, and no longer did it leave the listener feeling heavy and dragged down. Now it ended on a high point, with the feeling of hope and the promise of good things to come.  
  
Naturally, after their work was completed, Chanyeol began to drift away from Luhan. But he didn't really mind. They were pretty much from different generations and it was only natural that the younger would want to continue on with normal teenager behaviour. Plus Luhan still had his work at the dance studio to contend with, so they found themselves with less and less time to hang out. They still kept in contact, mainly through email, which was nice. But no longer did Chanyeol need Luhan in his life 24/7 like he had done throughout the song writing process.  
  
Thus Luhan found himself with a gap in his life after that. He hadn't realised just how much time he had put into helping the young lad. And with him now fading out of his life, that left him with a small sense of loss. Thankfully Minseok didn't need to spend as much time with his father as before and instead was right by Luhan's side again. That definitely helped to fill in the gap. And Minseok was more than happy to spend days just cuddled up with the other, sharing kisses and simply relishing in each other's company.  
  
They still hadn't defined what exactly they were though. A lot was being left unsaid between them and if there was one thing that Luhan had learned through dealing with Baekhyun and Chanyeol, it was that honesty really was the best policy. Hiding things from those most important to you could end with tragic results. Life was short, and it was much better to just be honest with everyone rather than keep everything quiet and hidden.  
  
He didn't want to end up like the younger two, hiding things from Minseok and ending up living in a never ending cycle of 'What ifs'. No, he wanted to be as honest as he possibly could be with the smaller. He wanted him to know just how much he meant to him, how important he was to him, how much he loved him. He didn't want to live in regret for not telling Minseok that he was the most important person in his life and that he would have been completely lost without him. He needed him to know.  
  
That was why he decided to tell Minseok exactly what he was feeling. Though as soon as opened his mouth to speak he was hit with a rather large wave of nerves. He couldn't let it beat him though. He had to tell the other, he needed to.  
  
"Minseok..." He started, pausing to take a breath as the smaller turned his head to look at him. Not for the first time, Luhan was struck by just how breathtaking the other male was. His features were exquisite, even when they were morphed into a look of curiosity and confusion like they were right then. He was beautiful, and Luhan felt a surge of affection swelling in his heart as he continued. "Meeting you was the best thing to ever happen to me. You've helped me so much. You give me the strength I need to deal with everything. And I don't think I could have done it without you."  
  
As Luhan spoke he watched as Minseok's face slowly relaxed into an affectionate smile, his eyes shining with happiness. "Luhan..." He started, but Luhan cut him off. He hadn't finished yet.  
  
"You mean so much to me. You're the most important person in my life. And after seeing what not being honest did to Baekhyun and Chanyeol... I don't want to keep anything from you. I want you to know exactly how I feel about you." He said, taking another pause to suck in a nervous breath. He had dropped his gaze down to his hands whilst he had been speaking, but now he raised it again, meeting Minseok's eyes. "Minseok... I... I love you."  
  
The living room was quiet for a moment, the only sound being the quiet chattering coming from the television. It was a little awkward and Luhan felt his body beginning to tense, before a small hand took his and he was greeted with a tender smile. "I love you too, Luhan." Minseok smiled, leaning forward to press a gentle kiss to his lips. When they pulled away Luhan couldn't help but notice a strange glint in the other's eyes. He was about to ask what was wrong when Minseok continued to speak. "You are the most important person to me too. That's why I have to tell you something."  
  
"What is it?" Luhan asked, tilting his head in question as he gazed at the smaller a little nervously.  
  
"Lu... I..." Minseok started, having to pause, himself, to suck in a shaky breath. "There is a reason why I can talk and interact with the ghosts too. A reason that I kept from you. And I am so sorry for that. You deserved to know the truth from the moment we met but... I didn't tell you. You were so scared and I didn't want to make everything worse. And then over time, I fell for you and I didn't want to lose you. It was selfish of me not to tell you."  
  
Luhan's heart was pounding so hard it felt like it was trying to escape from his chest. What was going on? What was it that Minseok was trying to say? What had he kept hidden from him? And why did he feel like his heart was already breaking? Sucking in a breath, he exhaled it slowly before reluctantly asking again, "What is it?"  
  
"I..." Minseok started again before meeting Luhan's eyes, his gaze full of apologies. "Luhan... I'm a ghost."  
  
Luhan blinked in confusion. He had to have misheard right? How could Minseok be a ghost? That wasn't right at all. No he definitely had misheard. And yet... his gut was telling him that he had heard correctly, and his insides felt like they were beginning to twist up in knots. "What?"  
  
"I'm a ghost. I died twenty years ago, Lu..."  
  
"No..." Luhan denied, shaking his head immediately, as he began to pull away from the other. "No, you can't be a ghost. You can't be." He couldn't believe it. He wouldn't. It hurt too much to even consider that the man he was in love with was already dead. That was unfair. That was a cruel twist of fate, that neither of them deserved. Would life really be that cruel to him?  
  
Yes... Yes it would. Life hadn't been fair to him all along, so why would now be any different?  
  
"I am, Luhan. I'm so sorry. I never should have let it get this far. I should have told you from the start... save us both from this pain."  
  
"You can't be." Luhan said, his eyes beginning to well up with tears. He really couldn't believe that this was happening to him. What had he done to deserve this? "It's unfair. This is so unfair. I've lost you before I could even have you." He said, his voice cracking as the tears broke free and began to slide down his cheeks. He didn't even bother to lift a hand to wipe them away. What was the point? More would just follow.  
  
Minseok was looking at him a little helplessly. Guilt was shining in his eyes and he had his arms lifted, hovering inches away from Luhan. He wasn't sure if he wanted him to touch him or not. He was a ghost after all. He wasn't real, he wasn't alive.  
  
And yet... this was Minseok. His Minseok. And just because he was a ghost that didn't change who he was. That didn't change how much he meant to him. Which was why Luhan flung himself forward into Minseok's arms, clinging to him as he sobbed into his shoulder.  
  
He felt as the smaller let out a sigh, his arms securely pulling him closer as he gently nuzzled his cheek. "I'm so sorry." He whispered into Luhan's ear. "I love you so much and I am so so sorry."  
  
Luhan still didn't want to believe it though. He needed proof.  
  
Yes, the other's disappearances made a lot more sense now. Whenever they would have been around a more intimate number of others, Minseok would make excuses for himself not to be there. He would only be around if it was just them, or if there were so many people that nobody would even look their way. But he still wanted proof.  
  
"Can I see it?" He asked once he had managed to quell his sobs somewhat. "Your grave... Can I see it?" He asked.  
  
Minseok looked down at him and though insecurity was swimming in his eyes and he was clearly unsure, he nodded his head gently. "Okay. If you want to." He replied.  
  
Luhan nodded himself in answer giving the ghost, who was also the love of his life, a tiny smile. He too wasn't sure whether going to see the grave was a good idea or not. It might just do him more harm than good. But he had to make sure. He had to confirm the other's words for himself.  
  
Even if by doing so he would break his own heart even more.  
  
He had to know.  
  


\---

  
Once again the two of them were walking through a grave yard, the backs of their hands brushing as they walked side by side. It was a familiar scene to them, yet this time there was no extra ghost with them. It was just Luhan and Minseok. And it was Minseok's grave they were going to see.  
  
Luhan still didn't want to believe that the man he was in love with was actually a ghost. That was just too unfair. After everything, that not only he had been through but Minseok too, they were now doomed to be in love with someone that they couldn't physically be with. Their relationship had been cursed from the very start.  
  
And yet Luhan didn't regret it at all. He wished that things were different, that Minseok was alive too, but he didn't regret falling for him at all. Meeting him was still the best thing that could have ever happened to him. He loved him, and nothing was ever going to change that.  
  
"Here it is." Minseok's voice broke the silence that had fallen between them, and Luhan followed the smaller's gaze to land on a gravestone that was just in front of them. It wasn't grand or extravagant. It wasn't a gravestone that would immediately grab someone's attention. But it was small and understated giving it a somewhat elegant aura. It suited Minseok perfectly.  
  
Swallowing thickly, Luhan looked over to the other, seeking his permission and reassurance which Minseok immediately granted him, giving him a small smile and a nod of his head. "Go ahead." He said, verbally answering Luhan's unspoken question.  
  
He didn't want to. Luhan really didn't want to approach the gravestone and read the evidential inscription. But at the same time, he did. He felt so incredibly conflicted. But deep down he knew that he needed to do this. He had to know.  
  
So after taking a deep breath to steady his nerves and to try and calm the thumping of his heart in his chest, he stepped forward and approached the somewhat imposing gravestone. His hands were clenched in front of himself, playing anxiously with his own fingers, and his gaze was locked onto the ground. Eventually though he raised his eyes and immediately he sank to his knees.  
  
There really was no mistaking it now. Minseok was dead. He was a ghost. And here was the gravestone to prove it.  
  
 _'Kim Minseok  
  
March 26th 1970 - August 8th 1994  
  
Beloved Son.'_  
  
Four... Luhan had been four years old when Minseok had died. That thought alone was a little strange. But ghosts never aged, that was something Luhan had learned fairly early on after his ability had developed. When somebody became a ghost they always stayed at the same age they were when they died. So even though technically Minseok should have been forty four years old, he was still only actually twenty four.  
  
He had been a ghost for twenty years. That was an awfully long time, and Luhan really didn't know how the other had managed it. There was obviously a reason why he was still lurking around. But he didn't want to know what it was. He didn't want to know, because if he did... there was a greater chance that he could lose him. And that was something he did not want to happen at all. He didn't care if he was being selfish, but he hoped that Minseok would never move on with his afterlife and would stay by his side until he too died so they could always be together.  
  
Letting his eyes scan over the carved words once again, he spoke up. "How did it happen?" He asked, his voice quiet and unsure.  
  
A sigh reached his ears and he felt as Minseok sat down next to him, he too facing the gravestone. "Car crash." He answered, speaking no louder than Luhan had done himself. "I was driving home from work when another car struck the back of mine. I found out afterwards that it had actually been a car further back that had started it. There was a chain reaction of cars running into cars, and unfortunately for me, mine was run into a barrier. I was thrown through the windscreen, over the barrier and died upon impact. It's better than bleeding to death, I guess."  
  
Luhan let out a shuddering breath as he shuffled on the spot so he was sat down properly, his legs pulled up to his chest, before he leant into Minseok's side. "I'm sorry. You probably didn't want to relive that. I shouldn't have asked."  
  
"It's okay. You deserved to know." Minseok asked, wrapping his arm gently around Luhan's back.  
  
They fell into a subdued silence for a while, sat close huddled up together as they gazed at the gravestone before them. Luhan really didn't want to believe that it was true, but the evidence was right there in front of him. There was just no denying it any more. Minseok was a ghost.  
  
Luhan was in love with a ghost. And that was so bitterly ironic to him, that he wanted to laugh. He didn't though. The situation was far from funny at all. And he knew that if he gave in to his urges and started to laugh that his emotions would take over and he would end up as yet another sobbing heap for Minseok to try and look after.  
  
"This is so unfair." He finally whispered, repeating the words he had said many times since he had first found out. "Why did this have to happen?"  
  
"I don't know." The other answered, turning his head and leaning down a tiny bit to press a kiss to Luhan's hair. "But, in a way... I'm glad that it did."  
  
Raising his eyes, Luhan blinked slightly in confusion at the spectre's words. "What do you mean?"  
  
"Well..." Minseok started. "If I hadn't died when I did, if I hadn't have been a ghost for twenty years... we might never have met. If things hadn't happened the way they did, I might never have met you, gotten to know you and fallen in love with you. So, in a way, I'm glad that everything happened as it did. I wouldn't have you, otherwise."  
  
Truthfully the whole situation was so much more confusing than Luhan was comfortable with. It hurt to think about. And he really just had no idea what to do. It wasn't like they could have a real proper relationship after all. "Minseok..." Luhan started, his voice taking on a pleading tone.  
  
"I know." The other started, nodding his head gently before tightening his arm around Luhan's back. "I know how hard this is. But I'll wait for you. I love you so much, and I promise that I will wait for you."  
  
This was just getting more and more unfair. Minseok was absolutely perfect, but Luhan couldn't have him. Yet... the ghost was willing to wait for him. That was way more than he ever expected, and so much more than he deserved. "Minseok..." He repeated, his voice tinged with affection.  
  
"I'll wait for you, but you have to promise me that you'll take your time. Like Baekhyun told Chanyeol, you are not allowed to rush it, okay? You have to promise to live your life to the fullest. I don't want you joining me prematurely. We all have our times to go after all, and I will wait until yours comes. But I don't want you to join me before then. Deal?" Minseok asked, looking at Luhan seriously, though there was a tender and playful glint in his eye.  
  
Luhan's face melted into a tender smile and he nodded his head gently before he spoke. "Deal. I promise that I will live until my scheduled end comes. Happy?" He asked, his eyes crinkling as he smiled.  
  
"Very." The other grinned, nodding back in reply.  
  
Luhan simply laughed happily, his heart full of love and affection for the other as he moved forward. "I love you, Kim Minseok." He smiled before pressing a tender kiss to the Minseok's lips.  
  
"And I love you, my Luhan."  
  
The younger gave him another warm smile before he pulled away quickly. "Oh! I know!" He exclaimed before shoving his hands in his pockets as he searched for something. After a few fumbling moments, he pulled out a piece of paper and a pen. "No peeking." He warned, scowling playfully at the ghost before turning his back on him and beginning to jot something down on the paper.  
  
He knew that this was cheesy, and that nobody would understand why the piece of paper with his words on was there, but he didn't care. He loved Minseok, even if he was a ghost. And he wanted everybody to know that out there somewhere was someone who loved the departed soul dearly, somebody that wasn't his father.  
  
Recapping the pen, he slid it back into his pocket before he moved up to the gravestone. Lifting the fingers of one hand, Luhan gently trailed his fingertips down the inscription before a soft smile appeared on his lips. He made sure to hide what he was doing from the other as he carefully stuck the newly written addition to the gravestone. Once satisfied he nodded before shuffling back and leaning into Minseok's embrace once more.  
  
He waited with almost bated breath as the ghost scanned the words he had written, and he felt the arms around him tightening. "Luhan... You are perhaps the most perfect human being in the whole world. And I am so lucky to call you mine."  
  
Luhan simply giggled as he too scanned the words he had written, feeling very proud of himself for making the other so happy.  
  
 _'Kim Minseok  
  
March 26th 1970 - August 8th 1994  
  
Beloved Son.'_  
  
That was the inscription, but Luhan felt that that hadn't been enough. So with the piece of paper and pen, he had added his own words.  
  
 _'And Eternally Cherished Boyfriend.'_  
  
"It's more accurate now." Luhan said, the smile almost glued to his face.  
  
A light-humoured laugh reached his ears, and he soon felt his chin lifted and a loving kiss pressed to his lips. "I love you." Minseok said, repeating the words that they seemed to constantly say to each other now.  
  
Lifting a hand, Luhan gently caressed his boyfriend's cheek. "I love you too." He replied before closing the distance between them again, fitting his lips back to Minseok's.  
  
Unbeknownst to the couple, they were being watched by a dark figure once again. It was the second of the pair that had been following and observing them. He flicked his head, blond strands of hair moving from in front of his eyes as he spoke to himself. "Oh how sweet. They've worked it all out."  
  
The figure pushed himself away from the gravestone he had been leaning against, and he gave the still kissing figures one last glance before he slid his hands into his pockets and began to stalk away. "It seems almost a shame that time is almost up."  
  
His steps were silent as he walked through the rows of graves. He withdrew one of his hands and began to dance his fingers along the tops of the stones as he passed them. "But the clock waits for no-one... Tick Tock, Tick Tock. Not long now."

 

**_~Third Chorus~_ **

  
Luhan had never thought that he would ever willingly and voluntarily step foot into a hospital, especially not after what had happened after the car accident. And yet, here he was, his footsteps echoing down the hall as he followed a rather friendly male nurse down to the private rooms.  
  
The only reason he had taken this step was because of Minseok. After the progress he had shown with his fear of ghosts, the smaller had suggested that he go volunteer at a hospital.  
  
"I know that you don't like hospitals, Lu, and I know that you'll likely be surrounded by other ghosts but you've come so far. Wouldn't it be a good idea to see how you handle it now? You need to be okay in hospitals, just in case something happens." He had said, and Luhan hadn't found any way to disagree with him.  
  
So after some pouting and whining about not wanting to, he had eventually relented and agreed to do some voluntary work at the hospital. Originally he had thought that he would have been doing some cleaning or other such menial tasks. But when he had reached the front desk and gone through all of the paperwork needed, he had been ushered away where he had met the nurse he was now following down the hall.  
  
All he knew about him was that he was called Kyungsoo and he had the largest eyes he had ever seen. Even larger than Minseok's when he was startled. The nurse seemed to have this almost constant deer in the headlights look and it had taken him a lot of effort not to tease him about it. He was sure that the nurse got that a lot, and it would be rather unfair for someone he had only just met to start on the teasing too. And besides... Kyungsoo seemed like a nice guy.  
  
"We don't get patients like him often." The nurse explained, leading Luhan round a corner and down another hall. "His situation is rare yet so very sad. We don't usually need volunteers to keep patients company but that is what we need you to do for this particular patient."  
  
"Why? Doesn't he have any family?" Luhan asked, picking up his pace so he wouldn't fall behind.  
  
The nurse simply shook his head, giving Luhan a small yet sad smile over his shoulder. "No. He's completely alone. I've been pretty much his only company since he was admitted here. So I know he'll appreciate you taking the time to help him through these last few stages... Nobody wants to die alone after all."  
  
Wait, what? He was there to sit with someone and keep them company while their life came to an end? That was not what he had signed up for. Luhan suddenly understood why Kyungsoo had said that this case was so rare. But it was too late to back out now. And truthfully... he knew that he needed to do this. It was the right thing to do.  
  
"W-What is he dying of?" He asked, curiosity taking over him. He wasn't sure if he was allowed to know but he couldn't help but ask.  
  
Thankfully though, Kyungsoo paused outside of the room he had been aiming for and after turning to face Luhan he had given him a small sad smile. "This is the cancer ward, Luhan... He... He opted not to have another round of chemotherapy and instead has chosen to make himself comfortable."  
  
So, the patient he was going to be sitting with had chosen to give up, and let his life come to an end? "W-Why?" He asked, his eyebrows furrowing in confusion. "Why has he stopped fighting?"  
  
Kyungsoo simply smiled at him in understanding, reaching up to place a hand on his shoulder. "I'm sure he'll explain that to you." He nodded before indicating the door with a tilt of his head. "Shall we go in then?"  
  
"Wait... How... How long until he..." Luhan began to ask, trailing off as an invisible lump got caught in his throat. He didn't even know the gentleman's name, let alone him as a person, yet he was already feeling choked up and heavy about his impending passing. Oh this was definitely going to be a lot harder than he had initially thought.  
  
"It's hard to say. Time is something that we can't answer for definite. But he's still surprisingly strong all things considering, so I'd say a few months at minimum if not more."  
  
Well that was just perfect. That would give him more than enough time to get attached to the patient, only to watch him die before his very eyes. Of course he could try not to get close to him, try to keep his distance, but Luhan knew that that was something he wouldn't be able to do. Especially not now with the person he had come to be. This was going to be so emotionally trying.  
  
Luhan closed his eyes for a moment, taking a breath to steady himself. "Okay." He nodded, opening his eyes to give the nurse the go ahead to open the door. "Let's go in."  
  


\---

  
Kim Joonmyun was an elderly gentleman with a kind smile and tired eyes. Just by looking at him, Luhan had known that he had been through a lot, and that wasn't including the cancer that plagued his body. He had wrinkle lines that showed world weariness, though he also had an aura of relaxation, like he was at peace with what was currently happening to him.  
  
He gazed at Luhan like a father would his son, and it took everything within Luhan not to bolt from the room and refuse to do this. He was a volunteer, he could pull out at any time right? But he wouldn't. He couldn't leave this man to die alone with only a nurse for company. So he stayed.  
  
After introductions had been made, Luhan giving the elderly man a timid smile and he returning a more relaxed one of his own, Kyungsoo had ran some checks on the gentleman's body before excusing himself. And so Luhan was left alone in the room with the patient, his body on edge and him just feeling so incredibly awkward.  
  
"So, Mr Kim..." He started, almost desperate to break the silence between them.  
  
"Please... call me Joonmyun. Mr Kim makes me feel old." The other replied, his smile still spread across his face as he looked upon Luhan kindly. His voice was rich and smooth, though with the tell tale crinkle of age. "I may be old in body but I'm certainly not in mind."  
  
This encouraged an amused and much more relaxed chuckle to fall from Luhan's lips, and he nodded softly to show his understanding. "Okay, Joonmyun then... I'm Luhan, and I'll be helping you and keeping you company for a while."  
  
"Ah..." The elderly man nodded, his tone somewhat insightful. "Kyungsoo's reinforcement." There was a playful twinkle in his aged eyes that caused Luhan to chuckle again before he replied.  
  
"I guess you could put it that way."  
  
"Well, I'm glad to see you then." The older male replied, his expression softening. "Not for my sake, but for his. Kyungsoo is a sweet kid, and he shouldn't have to look after me on his own. He's going to tire himself out if he's not careful."  
  
Kid? From the brief time Luhan had spent with the nurse he knew that the other was not a kid. The way the nurse carried himself was that of someone even older than he himself was. And if he had had to guess, he would have estimated Kyungsoo's age to be in his early forties. But then he had to remember... Joonmyun was much older than even Kyungsoo so everybody would seem like a kid to him.  
  
"He is very dedicated. He seems to care about you a lot, sir." Luhan smiled.  
  
"He's been my only company for a long time. He's more like my dear friend now, rather than my care-giver." Joonmyun explained, his expression turning affectionate for a moment. "So I'm glad to see that he's going to have some help."  
  
"Well, I'll try to be the best help that I can be, to both you and Kyungsoo." Luhan nodded, his eyes crinkling as he smiled.  
  
The elderly man hummed, his frail hand patting one of Luhan's. "I'm sure you'll do a fantastic job. You've got the build and frame for it."  
  
Luhan couldn't help but laugh softly as he shook his head. "I'm no nurse, Mr Kim. So I really doubt that I would be any good at it at all. I'm a dancer though."  
  
"Ah, that would have been my second guess. And I told you... call me Joonmyun."  
  
"Sorry sir." Luhan said, ducking his head as a sheepish smile spread across his face. He found that his hand was patted again and he looked up to find Joonmyun directing a warm and affectionate gaze at him.  
  
"Joonmyun." He repeated, before pulling his hand back to rest across his chest as he settled back into the bed. "Now Luhan... why don't you tell me some more about this dancing business that you do?"  
  


\---

  
"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Luhan asked, making his way towards Joonmyun's hospital room once more. Minseok was following along behind him and was the one who Luhan had been speaking to before.  
  
"It will be fine." Minseok said, reassuring him with a gentle hand on his shoulder. "As long as you remember not to talk to me. You're the only one who can see me after all, aside from other ghosts anyway."  
  
"Yeah, and I really don't want to be seen as insane, not here." Luhan sighed, running a hand through his hair before he glanced back at the ghost, worry shining in his eyes.  
  
Minseok gave him a gentle smile, trying to reassure him once again. "You won't be. As long as you don't talk to me when others are around."  
  
Nodding gently, Luhan returned Minseok's smile with a small unsure one of his own. He really wasn't sure if the ghost coming with him was such a good idea. He was still real to him after all, and after talking to him normally for so long, it was almost habit now. But he would have to make a conscious effort not to. He really didn't want to have to answer any incredibly awkward questions about who he was talking to. Though ignoring his boyfriend's presence was going to be hard.  
  
Once they reached the door, he glanced back at Minseok once more before he knocked gently and eased the door open. Stepping in he immediately saw the elderly gentleman led out weakly in the bed as Kyungsoo scurried about him, hooking a nutrients bag onto the IV stand. Ah... he wasn't having a good day then. Good thing it was a volunteering day. Luhan could distract him from how horrible he felt, and he had even brought along some crossword puzzles for them to do. Joonmyun had mentioned about how he had enjoyed doing them before during one of their talks so Luhan had immediately gone out and bought some for him.  
  
As soon as the old man had spotted Luhan he had given a warm though pain-filled smile. "Ah, there he is." He said, his voice tired yet full of the affection that was mirrored in his eyes. "I wasn't sure if you were coming today."  
  
"Of course I was. I promised you didn't I?" Luhan replied, smiling warmly at the patient as he walked over to the chair he had come to know as his own and set his backpack down next to it. "And I never break my promises."  
  
"It is also one of his scheduled volunteering days, so he has no choice." Kyungsoo piped up from the other side of the bed. His hands double checking that the bag was in place before he continued to flit around the man in bed, tucking him in and making sure he was comfortable.  
  
"Hey, I still would have come today even if I wasn't scheduled, Kyungsoo." Luhan replied, poking his tongue out at the nurse in a childish manner. He heard an amused chuckling from behind him, meaning that Minseok was watching the whole exchange.  
  
"Now, now, children. No need to fight." Joonmyun said, playfully scolding them with a small smile on his lips.  
  
Luhan knew that he didn't really mind their banter. He had let slip that it actually made him feel like he was surrounded by family, which was something that they had been aiming for. And the smile that Kyungsoo directed at him, proved that he knew that too.  
  
"Anyway..." Luhan continued, taking his seat and leaning down to unzip his bag. "I brought some crossword puzzles for us to work on. I thought it would be fun for us to solve them together." He commented, rummaging around in his backpack before he finally found the book he had been looking for. Straightening back up he placed it into the old man's hand and watched as his smile turned affectionate.  
  
"How thoughtful." Joonmyun smiled, reaching out to pat Luhan's own hand gently. "Such a good boy. You remind me so much of my son at times... though taller. My boy wasn't known for his height."  
  
"You have a son, Mr Kim?"  
  
"Joonmyun." The older man scolded, playfully swatting at Luhan who managed to duck away with a laugh. "And I had a son. He died a long time ago."  
  
"Oh... I'm sorry, I didn't know." Luhan replied, beginning to blush a little in embarrassment. He had just completely put his foot in it. And Minseok had been there to witness the whole thing. He could feel the ghost lurking around behind him, his hand occasionally squeezing his shoulder to let him know that he was there.  
  
"Well of course you didn't. I hadn't told you yet and I trust Kyungsoo not to talk about me behind my back." The elderly man chuckled, before having to grab onto the nurse's hand as a harsh round of coughs wracked his body. It took around a minute for the coughs to die down and once they did he gave everyone in the room an apologetic smile. "Sorry about that."  
  
"It's okay, Hyung. We know you can't help it." Kyungsoo said, smiling softly as he set about re-making the patient comfortable.  
  
The elderly gentleman nodded softly before humming in thought. "Anyway, where was I... Ah yes, my son. He was a good boy. Kind, caring... He made me so incredibly proud. And I still am proud of him, even though he's been gone from this earth for a long time now."  
  
Minseok stirred from behind him, the sound of his shuffling only audible to Luhan's ears and he had to restrain himself from turning to check on him. He couldn't make any indication towards him, not with the other two in the room. He just had to trust that he was okay. "I'm really sorry for your loss, Joonmyun." He said instead, giving the patient a gentle sympathetic smile.  
  
"It's okay. It happened so long ago that I've more than come to terms with his death now. I mean I still miss him every day, and I often wonder just what he would look and be like nowadays if he was still alive. But I've accepted the fact that he's not here." Joonmyun said, a rasp of age and weariness in his voice, though he still remained smiling. That was something that Luhan had come to know as a Joonmyun trait. His ability to always smile and be at ease.  
  
Kyungsoo was humming quietly to himself, letting the other two talk as he began to busy himself updating the patient's notes. Luhan glanced at him in amusement before he continued to speak, focusing on Joonmyun once more. "Well if he was anything like you then he would have been a very handsome man."  
  
"Thank you for the compliment, Luhan." The elderly man smiled before he shook his head softly. "But he didn't look like me at all. He took after his mother in the look's department. Though I'm not sure he really liked that, growing up."  
  
An amused smile spread over Luhan's lips as he chuckled, leaning back in his seat. "No young boy likes to be told that they look feminine. I still get told that even now and I object strongly to it." He admitted, hearing another chuckle from behind him courtesy of Minseok and noticing Kyungsoo nodding his head in agreement.  
  
"Well you  _are_  a very pretty young man, Luhan." Joonmyun said, a playful glint in his eye and an almost cheeky smile dancing across his lips.  
  
Luhan simply flushed in embarrassment, puffing his cheeks out with air in disagreement as his lips formed a petulant pout. "I am not." He disagreed, shaking his head childishly again before he decided that maybe changing the subject was the best idea. Otherwise he had a feeling that he would be the main topic of teasing for a while. So clearing his throat, he shuffled in his seat before continuing in a rather obvious and loud voice. "So how about those crossword puzzles..."  
  


\---

  
It was hard for Luhan, watching Joonmyun steadily getting worse. Every time he entered his hospital room the elderly man looked one step closer to death. He slowly lost his colour, his skin becoming sickly pale, almost translucent. His face was becoming gaunt, and there was deep bags under his eyes. He had never had any hair, the after effects of the chemotherapy he had been through before, but Luhan had never noticed that until the rest of his body began to degrade. It was just so sad to see such a strong and lovable man slowly begin to wither away before his eyes.  
  
He didn't want to think about it, but Luhan knew that the other's end wasn't that far off now. It was clear in the way that Joonmyun sometimes struggled to breath properly, often having to rely on the machines to pump oxygen into his nose. It was clear in the way that he didn't eat any more, he only got the nutrients and things needed for his body through an IV line. It was clear in the way that he was sleeping a lot more, causing Luhan to sit and read silently by his bedside often during his visits. It was clear in the way that his eyes seemed to be saying goodbye to everyone around him every time he looked at them.  
  
And just as he had expected, Luhan didn't want to say goodbye to him, not yet. He was only 76, there was still plenty of years left ahead for him to live. But Joonmyun had made his choice and had decided that it was time. And though he didn't personally agree, it was the elderly man's decision to make.  
  
Sitting next to his bed, Luhan was silently reading the book he had brought with him, Minseok reading over his shoulder. He had told him not to do that many times before but the ghost had always argued that he got bored otherwise and since Luhan couldn't risk talking to him, he had to allow him to read over his shoulder instead.  
  
Occasionally Luhan would glance up to check on the sleeping patient before returning his attention to his book. He had just turned another page when a scratchy quiet voice reached his ears.  
  
"What are you reading?"  
  
Luhan's head shot up quickly, his eyes locking onto Joonmyun's tired ones. He gave him a warm smile, marking his page and lifting the book so the older man could see the cover. "It's a fantasy book. I love being able to lose myself to other worlds with other races and magic and dragons and stuff." He admitted, his smile turning somewhat sheepish.  
  
"Everyone likes to escape from reality sometimes." The elderly man smiled, shuffling in the bed slightly so he could look over at Luhan easier. "Is it good?"  
  
The younger nodded, slipping the book back into his bag. "Yeah. I'm really enjoying it. The language isn't the most eloquent, but that just makes it easy to read. I've already got the next one in the series ready to start once I've finished this one."  
  
"No harm in being prepared." Joonmyun agreed, his smile becoming tinged with affection.  
  
"My thoughts exactly." Luhan chuckled, before his own smile softened, worry beginning to seep into his expression. "How are you feeling?"  
  
The old man shuffled in the bed again, a grimace of pain spreading over his features for a moment before he settled. "Oh, just dandy. In fact I'm right as rain! I might as well get up out of this bed and leave the hospital!"  
  
Luhan couldn't help but roll his eyes slightly as he smiled at the other in amusement. "Joonmyun..." He said, his voice playfully scolding.  
  
"I know, I know. I shouldn't joke about this. Sorry." He apologised. "Truthfully, I don't feel any better at all. I'm just so... tired."  
  
"Do you want me to go find Kyungsoo?"  
  
Joonmyun just shook his head in answer, his usual, though now slowly dimming, smile back on his lips. "No, it's okay. There's nothing he can do for me anyway."  
  
The younger nodded softly, leaning back into his chair. He had moved forward, ready to stand, when he had made the offer before but since there was no need he just settled back into his original position. "So..." He started, chewing on his lip unsurely for a moment before continuing. "You said last time that you had ended up raising your son on your own?"  
  
He wasn't sure that bringing up what he was sure was a sore subject with the dying man was really a good idea. But after the things that Joonmyun had told him already, his curiosity had grown until he couldn't help himself but to ask the elderly gentleman questions. And the other had answered every single one, no matter how inappropriate they might have been in his current situation, or how painful the subjects were.  
  
Even this time, though his expression became sad, Joonmyun nodded, folding his hands across his stomach as he exhaled a quiet sigh. "Yes, that's right. His mother left when he was barely old enough to walk."  
  
Chewing his lip, Luhan mentally debated with himself again before he found the words slipping past his lips. "What... happened? If you don't mind me asking. Did she die?"  
  
"No." The elderly man said, shaking his head softly. "No, she didn't die. She just realised that she didn't love me as much as I loved her. She never really wanted to be a mother either, so... she left. She said it was so me and our son could move on and live a happy life without her, free of lies and resentment. Which we did, and I tried to always make sure that my boy never hated his mother."  
  
Luhan nodded softly in understanding again, chewing his lip silently as he listened. "But what about you?"  
  
"I never hated her either. Even if she did end up breaking my heart." The old man looked so small and sad. The image alone was heart breaking to Luhan, let alone the words coming out of Joonmyun's mouth. "She was the love of my life. And though I don't regret loving her... I do regret not being enough for her."  
  
"If you don't mind me saying so, sir... It's her loss." Luhan said, shaking his head as he shrugged softly. Joonmyun was such a lovely guy and he couldn't quite understand how his ex-partner could just walk out on him like that. Especially since they had a son together too. Was that bond worth nothing? True, his own relationship with his parents wasn't the strongest, but he still loved them enough to check in with them frequently. So for a mother to walk out on her son and never speak to him again... It didn't make any sense.  
  
The elderly gentleman chuckled gently, barely an exhale of air more than anything. His ability to laugh properly had all been wiped away with his troublesome breathing. Yet Joonmyun still managed to express his amusement in his own way. "Thank you for saying so, but it's okay. It happened a very long time ago and I've had more than enough time to accept it. I might not have moved on from her, but I accept what happened."  
  
Shaking his head softly again, Luhan sighed gently before he gave the patient a warm smile. "You're a good man, Joonmyun."  
  
The older male simply shook his head too, his own warm smile spreading across his aged lips. "No. I'm just a man."  
  
Luhan let out a quiet laugh as he leant back against the back of his chair. He felt Minseok's hand come to land on his shoulder and he smiled softly at the familiar squeeze. "I have to disagree. You are kind, humble, warm, loving, caring... You must be a saint or something, Joonmyun."  
  
"I'm certainly not a saint... but my son did used to call me a Guardian Angel."  
  


**_~Adlib~_ **

  
Running a hand tiredly down his face, Luhan sighed quietly to himself as he continued to meander his way down the street. He had just finished up visiting Joonmyun for the day and was on his way to meet up with Minseok at his apartment. They had already agreed that Luhan would just order in a pizza or something and then they would curl up together on the sofa to watch a movie or two.  
  
That was just what he needed too. He was feeling more than a little exhausted, not just physically and mentally but emotionally too. So curling up in his ghostly boyfriend's arms and just relishing in his comfort sounded almost like heaven. However ironic that thought might be.  
  
He was just debating whether to pop into one of the supermarkets to grab some extra snacks when he walked straight into another body. Unable to catch himself, he fell backwards landing on the ground with a quiet grunt.  
  
"Again? Why do I always end up on the ground?" He grumbled to himself. At least he knew this time it wasn't Minseok he had bumped into, since the other was waiting for him at home. Looking up, though, he came face to face with someone who was very familiar to him. "Jongdae?"  
  
The ghost gave a wide chesire cat grin as he helped the stunned Luhan up and back to standing. "Hey Mr Flinchy who's not so flinchy any more. What's up?"  
  
Luhan let out a surprised yet happy laugh, brushing himself off as he smiled warmly at the other. "I was beginning to wonder where you had gone. It's been a while since I last saw you and was starting to worry that you had passed on without me knowing or something."  
  
Confusion passed over the ghost's face and he blinked at Luhan in amazement for a moment before speaking. "You... You were worried about me?" He asked, completely baffled.  
  
"Well yeah. You were one of the first ghosts I ever met over here, and though you may have scared me at first, I know you were only playing tricks because that's just the sort of guy you are. You didn't mean to cause me harm or anything." Luhan explained, shrugging softly. "So yeah, I was worried when I hadn't seen you for a while."  
  
"I-I... Thanks." Jongdae said, a more genuine and touched smile slowly spreading across his lips. "Nobody has ever said that to me before."  
  
"Well they should." Luhan chuckled, gently patting the ghost on the shoulder. "You're a good guy, Jongdae. You just have a more playful personality than most."  
  
If Luhan had thought, that almost a year down the line after moving to South Korea, that he would be here chatting so easily with the ghost that had pestered him mercilessly at the start, he would have laughed at himself and called himself crazy. And yet, it was actually happening. And every word that was passing his lips was completely genuine. He had come to miss the impish soul which was something he never could have predicted. He really had come a long way.  
  
"Thank you, Luhan." Jongdae said, his smile growing as his eyes began to shine with happiness. "You don't know how much that means to me to hear something like that."  
  
Luhan returned his smile, though his was a lot more amused as he chuckled softly. "You're welcome." He nodded before a thought occurred to him. "Oh! I was just heading back to my place for a movie night with Minseok, you know him right? Did you want to join us?"  
  
Yet again the ghost blinked at him in confusion. "Me? J-Join you?"  
  
"Of course." Luhan smiled again, his hand finding the smaller's shoulder again. "What better way to get to know you a little better."  
  
"But... Why would you want to?" The ghost asked. The insecurity in his eyes stirred something within Luhan and suddenly he understood the other's actions a lot better. The pranks and tricks were all a front, a mask... Underneath all of that he had been a somewhat lost soul who didn't think much of himself yet still desperately wanted to just belong...  
  
"Because." He started, a reassuring smile on his lips as he squeezed the spectre's shoulder. "I want us to be friends, Jongdae."  
  
The expression that appeared on the other's face was both amusing and somewhat heartbreaking at the same time. Jongdae had a look that was a cross between hope, amazement and disbelief on his face. Had nobody ever said something like that to him before too? That wasn't right at all. Jongdae was a really nice guy, and he was clearly taken from the world way too early. And Luhan hadn't been lying when he said that he wanted to get to know him more and become his friend. Everybody could use a friend. Even Jongdae.  
  
Especially Jongdae.  
  
"Friends? You... You want to be my friend?" He asked, his eyes growing wide.  
  
Luhan simply nodded, giving the ghost another warm and reassuring smile. "Yeah."  
  
Jongdae let out a happy laugh of disbelief before confusion passed across his eyes and he looked down at his hands. Luhan followed his gaze and gasped softly as he saw that the ghost was beginning to fade.  
  
No...  
  
No, he couldn't be...  
  
The next thing Luhan knew, Jongdae had thrown himself into his arms, hugging him tightly. "Thank you, Luhan. Thank you so much."  
  
"J-Jongdae..."  
  
With tears beginning to fill his eyes as the situation finally caught up with him, Luhan had to swallow thickly as Jongdae pulled away and gave him a wide grateful smile. He watched as he lifted a finger to waggle it playfully in his face, his form gradually becoming fainter and fainter. "Don't forget about me, okay?"  
  
"Jongdae..." Luhan said, his voice cracking with a quiet sob. Was this really happening right now?  
  
The fading ghost gave him a warm tender smile as he stepped further away, lifting his hand to wave softly. "See you later, Luhan. Thank you for being my friend."  
  
And with that Kim Jongdae, prankster ghost extraordinaire faded away into nothing. Not even a wisp of grey remained. He was just gone.  
  
And Luhan was left with an empty feeling in his heart.  
  


**_~Last Chorus~_ **

  
After Jongdae's passing Luhan had begun to feel a little disjointed from the rest of the world. He had been so shaken when he had gotten back to his apartment that Minseok had immediately asked what was wrong, and after Luhan had explained everything, he had pulled him into his arms and had rocked him gently until he had managed to calm down. He just couldn't believe that the other ghost was gone. And all Luhan had done was offer him his friendship.  
  
Why was he losing everything before he even got a chance to have it? His life in China, friendships with Jongin and Sehun, someone to look up to in Yixing, a little brother figure in Chanyeol, friendship with Jongdae, even his romantic relationship with Minseok in some ways... and now he was having to lose an older father like figure too.  
  
He had continued to visit Joonmyun afterwards of course. It was expected of him and he couldn't let the old man down now. Not when he was inching ever closer to death, every breath becoming more and more laboured. But he wasn't so sure he could handle watching Joonmyun die so soon after watching Jongdae fade away in front of his eyes.  
  
He didn't have a choice though.  
  
He had promised the elderly gentleman that he would be there. And Luhan never broke his promises.  
  
Yet walking down the hall of the cancer ward towards the older's room yet again filled him almost with a sense of foreboding. A feeling that only increased as he knocked on the door and entered to find an incredibly weak Joonmyun on the bed, his eyes barely open, breathing hard and laboured. Kyungsoo was helping him to lie back again, readjusting the oxygen mask which now covered his mouth and nose.  
  
The nurse had looked up at Luhan's knock, giving him a small smile before speaking. "I'm just on my way out but Luhan... could I have a word?" He asked, pulling the covers back up over the patient's chest.  
  
"Don't leave on my account." The old man rasped, his hand weakly patting one of the nurse's.  
  
Luhan watched as Kyungsoo turned to face Joonmyun again, giving him an affectionate smile. "I'm not. I just have my rounds to do, as you know already." He said, playfully scolding. The look in his eyes though was sad, and Luhan had to swallow thickly. Whatever the nurse had to talk to him about, it couldn't be good.  
  
"I'll be back soon." He heard Kyungsoo say before he was joined by said man and ushered over to the side to speak privately in hushed tones. "He really doesn't have long left Luhan. I don't think we'll lose him today but..." He left it hanging, but Luhan knew what he was trying to imply. Any day now Kim Joonmyun was going to die.  
  
Tears sprang to Luhan's eyes and he dropped his head to try and hide the wetness but the nurse had seen them. A small hand landed on his shoulder, squeezing softly. "I know." He went on. "I don't want to say goodbye either but... I think it's time we do just that."  
  
Nodding softly, Luhan swallowed thickly again before raising his head to give the other a small smile. "Okay. Thank you for letting me know, Kyungsoo."  
  
The nurse nodded softly in return before removing his hand from Luhan's shoulder and stepping back. "I'll be just down the hall, okay? You know what to do if anything does happen."  
  
Luhan nodded softly himself in reply before watching Kyungsoo leave the room. It took him a moment to pull in his strength before he pasted a soft smile onto his face as he approached the bed and sat down in his usual seat. Joonmyun was eyeing him suspiciously and it was only another moment before he spoke. "He told you, didn't he? That I don't have long left."  
  
It was almost unbelievable how aware of everything Joonmyun still was with how close he was to dying now. He didn't miss a thing and that thought made Luhan's smile grow slightly as he nodded in answer. "Yeah." He confirmed, his eyes beginning to fill with tears again. Ducking his head he tried to wipe at them hurriedly. "I'm sorry." He apologised, his voice thick with sadness.  
  
"Don't be silly. There is no need to apologise. And there is certainly no need to cry." The gentleman scolded, though with no real strength in his words any more. "I've lived a good life. And now it's my time to go."  
  
"Not yet, I hope!" Luhan blurted out, sniffing and wiping at his eyes again before smiling a little sheepishly. "I mean... you're still so lucid. So please don't keel over or something on me yet, please?"  
  
Joonmyun's lips lifted slightly as much as he was able to with how weak his body had become. "Okay. I'll try not to. But only because you asked me so nicely, okay?"  
  
This encouraged a laugh out of Luhan before he nodded softly. "Okay. Thank you."  
  
"You're welcome." The elderly man continued. "I don't want to die with any more regrets after all." Though his tone of voice was light, Luhan knew that he had meant what he said, and tilting his head, he gave Joonmyun a questioning look.  
  
"Regrets?" He asked before his brain twigged. "Your son?"  
  
He was proved correct when the patient nodded his head gently. "Yeah."  
  
"But... his death wasn't your fault, Joonmyun."  
  
A tired smile spread across the older's lips at this and his expression dimmed slightly. "I know. I wasn't driving the car that hit his. Nor was I driving the car that started the whole mess. But maybe if I had kept him home, stopped him from going into work that day... maybe he would still be alive now?"  
  
Luhan swallowed, a strange feeling passing over him. Why did that sound so familiar? The way that the other was explaining the accident... he had heard it before, he knew that much. But he couldn't pin point where. His head was just filled with confusion. He tried to shake it off though as he continued to speak to the older man. "Nobody can predict the future though, Joonmyun. And I know you wouldn't have kept him home without reason. It was a tragic accident that shouldn't have happened."  
  
The elderly gentleman was quiet, taking a moment to get his breath back before he shakily reached out to pat Luhan's hand. "I know, Luhan. I know. I'm just an old man thinking back on his life and what he could have changed. I don't really mean it." He said, before he looked into Luhan's eyes who was hit with an incredible wave of emotion. Joonmyun's eyes were so sad and full of apologies and even guilt. "I just wish I knew if he forgave me or not."  
  
"F-For what?" Luhan asked, licking his lips as he felt his chest tighten.  
  
"For not saving him. He called me his Guardian Angel, yet the one time he truly needed me... I wasn't there. I hope he can forgive me for that." Joonmyun said, his voice quiet yet full of remorse.  
  
Luhan was about to open his mouth to reply, himself, when he heard something behind him. It sounded a lot like a voice yet when he turned to see who it was... there was no-one there. Strange, but he swore he heard someone whispering behind him...  
  
"I already did, Dad. Long ago. I love you..."  
  


**_~Collision~_ **

  
Quiet beeping was echoing around the room, and it was an almost familiar sound to Luhan. It was so reminiscent to the beeping he had heard when he had first come around from his coma. Heart monitors all sounded the same after all, no matter what country you were in. This time, though, it wasn't his heart that the beeps were signifying. The beeps, this time, represented the slowing thuds of Joonmyun's heart.  
  
Each beep was reassuring. It meant that they hadn't lost him yet. Though Luhan knew that it was going to happen any minute now really. The old man had taken a turn for the worst throughout the night and when he had come in for his usual visit, he had found Kyungsoo near tears as he escorted him into the room.  
  
He had feared the worst when he had first seen the nurse crying. But walking into the room and seeing the old man still alive, though barely hanging on, it gave him a small wave of relief. It was short lived though. This was it.  
  
There would be no tomorrow for Kim Joonmyun.  
  
Luhan was sat by the bed, his hand gently holding onto one of the elderly gentleman's. He had promised him that he wouldn't die alone, so he wouldn't be. He was right there, holding his hand, Kyungsoo across from him holding the male's other hand and Minseok hovering behind him.  
  
The ghost had been unusually quiet the previous night, and no amount of persuading had gotten him to talk. They had still cuddled in bed as per usual, and he had still kissed him goodnight. But he hadn't spoken much. He was there now though, silently giving Luhan support.  
  
"He was my favourite patient, you know..." Kyungsoo spoke up, his voice wobbly and thick with emotion.  
  
Looking up, Luhan nodded softly as he gave the nurse a small smile. He remained quiet though. He wasn't sure he could find his voice enough to speak.  
  
"They always tell us not to get attached to our patients but... I couldn't help it with Joonmyun. He was just... special."  
  
Kyungsoo was crying now, and Luhan had to bite his bottom lip as tears of his own began to fill his eyes. "He was." He whispered quietly, returning his gaze back down to the sleeping man's face. "I knew him even less than you did, but he was special to me too. I'm honoured to have even spent this small amount of time with him."  
  
The silence in between the beeps were starting to lengthen, as were the gaps in the elderly man's breathing. They were moments away now... and finally the tears Luhan had been trying to hold in spilled free over his cheek's as he gripped the hand in his firmly. "Joonmyun..." He started, having to pause to swallow before he continued. "You've worked hard. But it's time to stop. It's okay. You can rest now."  
  
It was almost as if the elderly man had needed to hear those very words before he could pass on. For the next time the machine beeped and he sucked in a weak breath... it was the last. The room was plunged into an almost stunned silence, and Luhan didn't know how long it truly lasted but it felt like hours. It was broken though by a long drawn out note from the machine and with shaky hands, Kyungsoo stood and fumbled to turn it off.  
  
There was no need to explain... They all knew what that meant.  
  
"I-I'll go fetch the doctor." Kyungsoo stuttered before hurrying from the room, leaving Luhan with Joonmyun.  
  
He continued to simply gaze at him silently for a while before he sniffed, swallowing down a sob as he lifted the other's hand to press a gentle kiss to the back of it. "Thank you." He said, his voice cracking with emotion. "I'll never forget you, sir. You'll be a Guardian Angel to us all now." He said, a sad smile appearing on his face before he placed his hand back onto the bed and stood from the chair.  
  
Luhan had been about to turn to face Minseok when he was distracted by the door opening and the doctor stepping in. Bowing his head in greeting, he grabbed his backpack before stepping out of the room. He didn't go far though, simply leaning against the wall just outside of the door, Kyungsoo mirroring him.  
  
"Luhan?" The nurse spoke up, causing Luhan to raise his eyes to look at him again. "Thank you. I know you being there meant a lot to him, so thank you."  
  
Lifting his shoulders, Luhan shrugged softly before he answered, his voice small and a little hesitant. "You asked me to."  
  
"Yes, but... You could have said no. But you never did. So thank you."  
  
This was getting too much for him now. He just wanted to get out of there, go home and curl up in Minseok's arms. Maybe cry a little bit too. Yeah, that sounded good. So, after shrugging on his backpack, he wiped at his eyes, making a move to turn to leave before a thought stopped him.  
  
"You know... all the time we spoke, he never told me his son's name."  
  
"Really?" Kyungsoo asked, already working on drying his own eyes, though the effort was somewhat futile for them both.  
  
"Nope. It was always 'My son' or 'My boy'." Luhan replied, shaking his head in emphasis.  
  
The name he received from the nurse though made his blood run cold. "Minseok. His son's name was Minseok."  
  
No... it couldn't be. He had to have heard wrong. No way was it... No.  
  
He wasn't even going to ask Kyungsoo to repeat himself, afraid that the name he had spoken was who he was thinking of. So instead he nodded a little shakily before stuttering as he spoke. "A-Ah. W-Well... I g-guess I'll be off then."  
  
Without waiting for a response from the nurse, Luhan turned on the spot and began to walk briskly down the hall. His heart was pounding hard in his chest, and he felt as if the world was beginning to crash down around him.  
  
Minseok was nowhere in sight.  
  
It had been his name the other had spoken. Minseok... Kim Minseok...  
  
Once he had exited the cancer ward, the young man all but broke into a run as he headed towards the general exit of the hospital. He had to find him. He had to prove that it wasn't him. It couldn't be,  
  
"Minnie?" He whispered out, calling to him as much as he was able to surrounded by people.  
  
 _"I'm a ghost. I died twenty years ago, Lu..."_  
  
Minseok's voice began to swirl around in his head, snippets of their previous conversations echoing in his ears fuelling his fear and panic even more.  
  
 _"I grew up in a broken household. My mother left us when I was a baby, so it was just me and my Dad."_  
  
Every step, another flashback.  
  
 _"Car crash. I was driving home from work when another car struck the back of mine."_  
  
This wasn't happening...  
  
 _"I found out afterwards that it had actually been a car further back that had started it. There was a chain reaction of cars running into cars, and unfortunately for me, mine was run into a barrier."_  
  
Where was Minseok? Why couldn't he find him? He was right there before...  
  
 _"I was thrown through the windscreen, over the barrier and died upon impact. It's better than bleeding to death, I guess."_  
  
As he broke through the front entrance, a visual flashback hit him and Luhan nearly fell as his knees buckled.  
  
The grave... Minseok's grave...  
  
 _'Kim Minseok  
  
March 26th 1970 - August 8th 1994  
  
Beloved Son.'_  
  
It all made sense. It all added up. This couldn't be happening...  
  
"Minseok!" He shouted out, running full sprint through the gates and out into the road. He had to find him. It couldn't end like this. It couldn't. He couldn't lose his Minseok now. Not after everything. Not like this. No... "Minseok, where are you!?!"  
  
Darting through the cars, uncaring of his own safety, Luhan continued to run. Tears were streaming down his face as he felt his heart break within his chest. This wasn't fair! He was practically screaming out for the other now, so desperate to find him.  
  
He had turned, running out onto a busy road when there was a sudden screech of tires on the road, a loud horn echoing in the air. Luhan had just enough time to turn and face the truck that was heading towards him before there was a loud sound of impact.  
  
Pain... there was a lot of pain. And it felt like he was flying through the air. But the last thing Luhan registered was the ache in his heart where Minseok used to be before suddenly and all too quickly... everything went black.  
  


**_~Coda~_ **

  
The area was filled with noise and the flashing lights of an ambulance, a police car and even a fire engine lit up the crowd of people gathered. Everybody loved a spectacle after all. That was human nature. Death was intriguing. And though few chose to take it into their own hands it always got to them in the end.  
  
"Well that was... messy." A tall blond figure spoke, puffing his cheeks out for a moment before he tilted his head to glance up at his companion. "What do you think, Yifan?"  
  
"It doesn't matter." The taller replied, giving the other a pointed look. "What matters is that everything is now in order. And we are not needed to baby-sit any longer."  
  
The shorter pushed his lips forward into a grumpy pout as he crossed his arms over his chest. "I was just asking. And besides... I thought it was fun watching how everything played out."  
  
Yifan let out a long suffering sigh, his shoulders relaxing a fraction as he relented. "It was... entertaining. I will give you that."  
  
This was enough for a bright smile to spring up on the younger's face. "It was. And it all ended right on time too! How's that for good time management?"  
  
The taller rolled his eyes before reaching out and with a large hand, patted the younger's head. "You did well, Zitao. You have learned well."  
  
A proud smile spread across the shorter's face as he all but bounced in happiness. "Thank you. I had a great teacher." He grinned, playfully elbowing the other in the side.  
  
Yifan merely rolled his eyes again before turning on the spot and beginning to walk away. "Come on. it's time to leave."  
  
"Coming!" Zitao called out before quickly following after his taller partner.  
  
Death... it waits for no-one. And nobody can escape it. But the best you can do is live your life happily, unashamed of who you are. Take everything that is thrown at you and twist it into something good. Nobody wants to die with regrets after all.  
  
Life is precious. Make the most of it.


End file.
